Homology

[Yuri P. Nekrutenko]

Allow me to join to your discussion
>
>   >       Ole> Who was the first to use 'homology'in this context?
>   >
>   >   Rieger, Michaelis, and Green's ``Glossary of Genetics and
>   >   Cytogenetics'' cites Vavilov's ``law of homologous genes'' as the
>   >   first use in genetics.
>
There are at least THREE contexts in which the term "homology" is used:

(1) of chromosomes or chromosome segmants ('homologues') which are identical
with respect to their constituent -> genetic loci (the same loci in the same
sequence) and their visible structure, as distinct from nonhomologous and
-> homologous chromosomes or parts of chromosomes;

(2) of structures similar in the same or different organisms due to similar
hereditary and development origin (Owen, 1840);

(3) of similar variations ("law of homologous genes" - Vavilov, 1922).

Referred sources are hoped to be easily accessible world over (in larger
libraries).

Best regards

Yuri

Yuri P. Nekrutenko
Institute of Zoology
UA-252601 Kiev 30, MSP
U K R A I N E
ypnekrut at mbat.freenet.kiev.ua