Exon

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Exon

Exon (pronounced: /ˈɛksɒn/) is a term used in genetics to refer to a sequence of DNA that codes information for protein synthesis and is transcribed to mature messenger RNA (mRNA).

Etymology

The term "exon" originates from the term "EXpressed regiON". It was coined in 1978 by American biochemist Walter Gilbert.

Definition

An exon is a segment of a DNA or RNA molecule containing information coding for a protein or peptide sequence. It is a nucleic acid sequence that is represented in the mature form of an RNA molecule, either after portions of a precursor RNA, including introns, have been removed by splicing, or when two or more precursor RNA molecules have been ligated by RNA splicing.

Related Terms

  • Intron: A segment of a DNA or RNA molecule that does not code for proteins and interrupts the sequence of genes.
  • Gene: A unit of heredity that is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic of the offspring.
  • RNA splicing: The process by which introns are removed from heterogeneous nuclear RNA (hnRNA) and the remaining exons connected to form the final mRNA.
  • Protein synthesis: The process in which cells build proteins.

See Also

External links

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