# Gene > **Machine-Evolution Nexus:** [[articles/Digital Darwinism and the Invisible World of Machine Evolution|Digital Darwinism and the Invisible World of Machine Evolution]] places this node within the history and governance of substrate-independent evolution. **Domain:** Genetics / Heredity **Doc Type:** Canonical Wiki Node **Maturity:** Developed ## Definition A gene is a genomic region whose sequence contributes to a functional product or regulated biological process. ## Nexus Context Genes participate in heredity but act through regulatory, cellular and environmental systems. Comparative sequences supply evolutionary information used in modern protein-structure prediction. ## Evidence Boundary The term should not imply a one-gene/one-trait program. Most traits emerge from networks, development and context. ## Relationships [[wiki/DNA|DNA]], [[wiki/Genome|Genome]], [[wiki/Genetic Code|Genetic Code]], [[wiki/Evolutionary Covariation|Evolutionary Covariation]] ## Sources / Provenance - Modern molecular genetics.