Definition

1. Noun:
   • Complementary DNA (cDNA): A form of DNA synthesized from a messenger RNA (mRNA) template using the enzyme reverse transcriptase. It is single-stranded and its nucleotide sequence is complementary to that of the mRNA from which it was derived. It is a crucial tool in molecular biology for studying gene expression and creating gene libraries.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The researchers synthesized complementary DNA from the isolated mRNA to analyze the gene's expression pattern.
  • A complementary DNA library was constructed to identify genes active in the developing embryo.

Advanced Usage

• "cDNA library": A collection of cloned complementary DNA fragments that represent the mRNA molecules present in a particular cell type or tissue at a specific time.
  • Screening the cDNA library allowed them to find the gene responsible for the trait.
• "cDNA synthesis": The laboratory process of creating complementary DNA from an RNA template.
  • The first step in the protocol is cDNA synthesis.

Variants and Related Words

• cDNA (abbreviation): The standard abbreviated form of "complementary DNA".
  • The cDNA was then amplified using PCR.
• Reverse transcriptase: The enzyme used to synthesize cDNA from an RNA template.
• mRNA (messenger RNA): The RNA molecule that carries the genetic code from DNA and serves as the template for cDNA synthesis.

Synonyms

• cDNA: This is the direct and most common synonym.
• Copy DNA: A less common but descriptive synonym.

Related Phrases

• "complementary DNA strand": While "complementary DNA" specifically refers to DNA made from RNA, this phrase can describe one strand of a DNA double helix that is complementary to the other.
  • Note: This is a related concept but not identical to "complementary DNA" as a technical term.

Related Idioms

(This term is a precise scientific noun; it is not used in idiomatic expressions.)

Noun

1. single-stranded DNA that is complementary to messenger RNA or DNA that has been synthesized from messenger RNA by reverse transcriptase