tinman
English
Pronunciation
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 333: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "US" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈtɪn.mæn/
Audio (US): (file)
Etymology 1
Noun
tinman (plural tinmen)
Etymology 2
In allusion to the character Tin Man from the Land of Oz, who lacked a heart.
Noun
tinman (uncountable)
- (genetics) A master gene in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, whose absence causes the fly to develop without a heart.
- 2000, Carl Zimmer, “The Hidden Unity of Hearts”, in Natural History[1], volume 109, number 3, pages 56-61:
- Tinman belongs to a special class of genes. [...] But some genes make proteins that control other genes. Some act like master switches, triggering many different genes to work together to build a structure. Tinman is one such “master gene” for the fruit fly.