Transposon (Noun)
Meaning
A segment of DNA that can become integrated at many different sites along a chromosome (especially a segment of bacterial DNA that can be translocated as a whole).
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- The insertion of a transposon into a gene can disrupt its function and lead to changes in the organism's phenotype.
- Transposons are mobile genetic elements that can jump from one location to another within a genome, often causing mutations.
- The transposon was first discovered in bacteria, where it was found to be a segment of DNA that could move from one location to another on the chromosome.
- Scientists have used transposons as tools for genetic engineering, taking advantage of their ability to insert themselves into specific locations within a genome.
- The presence of a transposon in a particular gene can be used as a marker to track the gene's expression and regulation within an organism.