Definition

Proper noun A small, invasive, self-pollinating weed plant species with small white flowers. It is extensively used as a model organism in plant biology and genetics research, notable for being the first higher plant to have its complete genome sequence fully mapped and described.

Usage

Arabidopsis thaliana is used as the scientific name for a specific plant species. It is typically referred to in academic, scientific, and research contexts. - In formal writing, the genus name (Arabidopsis) is capitalized and the species name (thaliana) is in lowercase, and the entire name is often italicized. - In common scientific parlance, it is frequently abbreviated as Arabidopsis or simply called "thale cress."

Examples

• In a research paper: " was used to study the gene's function due to its short life cycle and fully sequenced genome."
• In a lecture: "Many fundamental discoveries in plant physiology were first made in the model organism ."
• In a news article: "Scientists using have identified a key protein involved in drought resistance."

Advanced Usage

• As a genetic model: The phrase is used to signify a standard experimental system. Example: "The pathway was characterized in before being studied in crops."
• In phylogenetic studies: Used to denote a representative of the Brassicaceae family. Example: "The evolutionary history of this gene family was traced using as a reference."

Variants and Related Words

• Arabidopsis (n): The genus name; often used informally to refer to itself.
• Thale cress (n): The common English name for .
• Mouse-ear cress (n): Another common name for the same species.

Synonyms

• Thale cress
• Mouse-ear cress

Related Terms and Concepts

• Model organism (n): A non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena.
• Brassicaceae (n): The plant family (mustard family) to which belongs.
• Genome sequencing (n): The process of determining the complete DNA sequence of an organism's genome.

Noun

1. a small invasive self-pollinating weed with small white flowers; much studied by plant geneticists; the first higher plant whose complete genome sequence was described