In genetics, what is meant by a gene family?

• A. All of the alleles of a single gene found across different individuals in a population
• B. A set of genes contributed by each parent that determines an organism’s pedigree or family tree
• C. A set of genes within a genome that share significant sequence similarity because they arose by duplication of an ancestral gene and often encode proteins with related functions
• D. A cluster of unrelated genes that happen to be located next to each other on a chromosome due to random chance

Answer: (C)