ribonucleic acid
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Definition
- Noun:
- A biological macromolecule: Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a long, linear polymer composed of nucleotide units. It is a nucleic acid, similar to DNA, and is essential for various biological functions.
- A carrier of genetic information: In cells, RNA plays a central role in transmitting genetic instructions from DNA in the nucleus to the sites of protein synthesis in the cytoplasm. It also controls specific chemical processes within the cell.
- Viral genetic material: For some viruses, ribonucleic acid itself serves as the primary genetic material, rather than DNA.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Messenger ribonucleic acid carries the genetic code from DNA to the ribosome.
- Scientists are studying the structure of ribonucleic acid to understand gene expression.
- The virus's genome is composed of single-stranded ribonucleic acid.
Advanced Usage
- "ribonucleic acid sequencing": The process of determining the precise order of nucleotides within an RNA molecule.
- Ribonucleic acid sequencing revealed new details about the transcriptome.
- "ribonucleic acid interference (RNAi)": A biological process where RNA molecules inhibit gene expression.
- Ribonucleic acid interference is a powerful tool for genetic research.
Variants and Related Words
- RNA: The standard and most common abbreviation for ribonucleic acid.
- The RNA was extracted from the tissue sample.
- mRNA (messenger RNA): A type of RNA that conveys genetic information from DNA to the ribosome.
- tRNA (transfer RNA): A type of RNA that brings amino acids to the ribosome during protein synthesis.
- rRNA (ribosomal RNA): A type of RNA that is a key structural and catalytic component of ribosomes.
Synonyms
- Nucleic acid: The broader class of biopolymers to which RNA belongs.
- Genetic material: A general term for molecules that carry hereditary information.
Related Phrases
- Ribonucleic acid polymerase: An enzyme that synthesizes RNA from a DNA template.
- The gene is transcribed by ribonucleic acid polymerase.
- Ribonucleic acid world hypothesis: A theory that early life forms used RNA for both genetic information and catalysis.
- The ribonucleic acid world hypothesis is a compelling idea about the origin of life.
Noun
- (biochemistry) a long linear polymer of nucleotides found in the nucleus but mainly in the cytoplasm of a cell where it is associated with microsomes; it transmits genetic information from DNA to the cytoplasm and controls certain chemical processes in the cell
- ribonucleic acid is the genetic material of some viruses