Exons

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Exons

Exons (/ˈɛksɒnz/) are a sequence of DNA or RNA that codes for a part of a gene. They are the sections of a gene that are expressed (i.e., translated into a protein). The term "exon" comes from the term "expressed region" and was coined by American biochemist Walter Gilbert in 1978.

Etymology

The term "exon" originates from the expression "expressed region" and was first used in this context by American biochemist Walter Gilbert in 1978. The term refers to the fact that these sequences are expressed, or used to create proteins.

Function

Exons are the coding regions of a gene. They contain the information that is used to create proteins, which are the building blocks of the body. During the process of transcription, the exons are copied into mRNA, which is then used as a template for protein synthesis during the process of translation.

Splicing

Exons are separated by introns, which are non-coding regions of a gene. During the process of RNA splicing, the introns are removed and the exons are joined together to form a continuous coding sequence. This process allows for the creation of different proteins from the same gene, a process known as alternative splicing.

Related Terms

  • Gene: A unit of heredity that is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic of the offspring.
  • Introns: Non-coding sections of an RNA transcript, or the DNA encoding it, that are spliced out before the RNA molecule is translated into a protein.
  • Transcription (genetics): The first step of gene expression, where a particular segment of DNA is copied into RNA by the enzyme RNA polymerase.
  • Translation (biology): The process in which cellular ribosomes create proteins.
  • RNA splicing: The editing of the nascent precursor messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) transcript.
  • Alternative splicing: A regulated process during gene expression that results in a single gene coding for multiple proteins.

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