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plasmid

plasmid

5 8.4
A small circular piece of DNA in a cell that can copy itself
  • noun
  • /ˈplæzmɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : plásmido
  • All the isolates harbored at least one plasmid (range: 1-4) and exhibited 12 distinct plasmid profile patterns.
  • plasmid profile
  • genes into a plasmid
  • plasmid-borne resistance

Examples

  • Plasmids are often used in genetic engineering to introduce new genes into plasmids.

  • The entire coding sequences of the mutant plasmids were confirmed by direct sequencing prior to functional studies.

    Academic text (2018)
  • The vector is what the plasmid DNA is commonly referred to.

  • You can basically make a human cell culture and add plasmids to that human cell culture that contain the things that you want to test.

  • Well, I talked about the problem of using plasmids in gene therapy.

  • Basically, she will alter the DNA in a plasmid in a cell of Escherichia coli.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • The researchers found that the marked plasmid spread quickly among chickens that were fed subtherapeutic levels of tetracycline.

    Academic text (2000)
  • The genes are commonly carried on extrachromosomal plasmids that are transferred to other microbes through conjugation.

    Academic text (2000)
  • COS7 cells were plated on glass coverslips and transfected with plasmids encoding the proteins of interest.

    Academic text (2016)
  • In vitro, they can be delivered by transient plasmid transfections or viral transduction for long-term silencing.

    Academic text (2016)

Synonyms

plasmid DNA
vsplasmid
  • Specialized
1 4.6

A small circular piece of DNA in cells that copies itself separately from the cell's main DNA

is the single-word technical label for the same DNA molecule

Compounds

plasmid DNA
  • Specialized
1 4.6

A small circular piece of DNA in cells that copies itself separately from the cell's main DNA

Surface Forms

plasmid singular
plasmids plural

Morphology

plasmid = plasm (opaque) = plasm + id

Although formed from the combining form 'plasm' + the suffix '-id', the specific technical meaning 'small, independently replicating DNA molecule' is a specialized biological sense not deducible by a typical learner from the base.

Etymology

Plasmid comes from the Greek root plasma meaning 'something formed' and the ending -id meaning 'like' or 'small form'. Think of plastic, from the same root and meaning 'able to be shaped', to remember that a plasmid is a small piece of DNA formed separately from the main chromosomes.