Plasmid (Noun)
Meaning
A small cellular inclusion consisting of a ring of DNA that is not in a chromosome but is capable of autonomous replication.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made).
Examples
- The bacteria contained a plasmid that allowed it to resist antibiotics by producing a special enzyme.
- Plasmids are commonly used in genetic engineering to introduce new genes into bacteria and other organisms.
- Scientists inserted a gene for insulin production into a plasmid, which was then used to transform bacteria.
- The discovery of plasmids in bacteria led to a greater understanding of the mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer.
- In the laboratory, researchers isolated a plasmid from a sample of E. coli bacteria and studied its genetic composition.