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polynucleotide

polynucleotide

8.6
A long chain of small parts that form DNA or RNA
  • noun
  • /ˌpɒlɪˈnjuːklɪˌtaɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : polinucleótido
  • In 1973, he published "A Theory of Marginotomy: The Incomplete Copying of Template Margin in Enzymatic Synthesis of Polynucleotides and Biological Significance of the Phenomenon" in the Journal of Theoretical Biology.

Examples

  • A polynucleotide, made of linked nucleotide units, forms the backbone of a DNA molecule.

  • So you made somehow an anti sense polynucleotide to the insulin gene or some fraction of the insulin gene?

  • RING-FISH employs multilabeled polynucleotide probes that organize themselves into large networks around the target (Zwirglmaier 2005).

    Academic text (2008)
  • Researchers study how polynucleotides, like RNA, play a crucial role in protein synthesis.

  • In the laboratory, scientists can create a synthetic polynucleotide to replicate natural processes.

Synonyms

nucleic acid
vspolynucleotide
  • Specialized
3 4.6

A long molecule like DNA or RNA that stores genetic information in cells

is a linear polymer that forms part of this larger cellular substance
deoxyribonucleic acid
vspolynucleotide
  • Specialized
1 4.2

A long molecule in cells that carries information about how living things grow and look

is a linear polymer that makes up part of such long molecules
oligonucleotide
vspolynucleotide
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A short piece of DNA or RNA used in genetic tests and research

is a long linear polymer made of many nucleotide units rather than a few

How Long

polynucleotide
  • Specialized
8.6
oligonucleotide
  • Specialized
1 9.9
nucleotide
  • Specialized
14 6.6

Surface Forms

Morphology

polynucleotide = nucleotide (semi-transparent) = poly + nucleotide

The meaning is clear from 'poly-' meaning 'many' plus 'nucleotide', but the term is specialized scientific vocabulary rather than everyday English.

Etymology

Polynucleotide comes from the prefix poly- meaning 'many' and nucleotide, the name for a small 'building block' of DNA and RNA, so a polynucleotide is a long chain made of many nucleotides, like DNA and RNA.