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intron
(redirected from Introns)

   Also found in: Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.04 sec.
in·tron  (ntrn)
n.
A segment of a gene situated between exons that is removed before translation of messenger RNA and does not function in coding for protein synthesis.

[intr(agenic), occurring within a gene (intra- + genic) + -on.]

intron [ˈɪntrɒn]
n
(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Genetics) Biochem a stretch of DNA that interrupts a gene and does not contribute to the specification of a protein Compare exon2
[from intr(agenic) (regi)on]

intron  (ntrn)
A segment of a gene situated between exons that does not function in coding for protein synthesis. After transcription of a gene to messenger RNA, the transcriptions of introns are removed, and the exons are spliced together by enzymes before translation and assembly of amino acids into proteins. Compare exon.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.intron - sequence of a eukaryotic gene's DNA that is not translated into a protein
deoxyribonucleic acid, desoxyribonucleic acid, DNA - (biochemistry) a long linear polymer found in the nucleus of a cell and formed from nucleotides and shaped like a double helix; associated with the transmission of genetic information; "DNA is the king of molecules"
coding DNA, exon - sequence of a gene's DNA that transcribes into protein structures; "exons are interspersed with introns"


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? Mentioned in ? References in periodicals archive
 
Before these genes form any protein, cells cut out all the introns and splice together the remaining exons.
The transcript subsequently becomes messenger RNA through a natural splicing process in which selected introns are removed and exons joined.
Because the typical cell size of an animal tends to match the length of its genome, the development of shorter introns could account for the relatively small size of bird cells.
 
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