Talk:homologous

biology and genetics

Biology and genetics (a branch of biology) have the same definition: similarity by descent. Homologous chromosomes are similar because they share a common ancestry and origin. They are not homologous just because they are similar. Furthermore you cannot be more or less homologous, although you can be more or less similar. The things are either related or they aren't. Using the example of another species in the Biology definition just adds an un-needed layer of complexity. Your left and right arms are homologous to eachother (as well as to mine) eventhough they are found in the same organism (same species). This definition and its use in biology and genetics has been true roughly from the time of the modern synthesis in biology. Modern usage would assign your definition to the word :orthologous (homologous across species) compare homolog, ortholog, and paralog contrast analog Genesanddevelopment (talk) 12:46, 22 July 2023 (UTC)