exon

ex·on  (ksn)

n.

A sequence of DNA that codes information for protein synthesis that is transcribed to messenger RNA.

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[ex(pressed) + -on.]

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ex·onic adj.

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exon¹

n

(Historical Terms) Brit one of the four officers who command the Yeomen of the Guard

[a pronunciation spelling of French exempt exempt]

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exon²

n

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Genetics) any segment of a discontinuous gene the segments of which are separated by introns Compare intron

[from ex-¹ + -on]

exonic  adj

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exon  (ksn)

A segment of a gene that contains information used in coding for protein synthesis. Genetic information within genes is discontinuous, split among the exons that encode for messenger RNA and absent from the DNA sequences in between, which are called introns. Genetic splicing, catalyzed by enzymes, results in the final version of messenger RNA, which contains only genetic information from the exons. Compare intron.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

exon - sequence of a gene's DNA that transcribes into protein structures; "exons are interspersed with introns" coding DNA 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" intron, noncoding DNA - sequence of a eukaryotic gene's DNA that is not translated into a protein