complementary DNA

American  

[kom-pluh-men-tuh-ree dee-en-ahy] / ˈkɒm pləˌmɛn tə ri ˈdiˈɛnˈaɪ /

noun

1. cDNA.

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complementary DNA British  

noun

1.  cDNA.  a form of DNA artificially synthesized from a messenger RNA template and used in genetic engineering to produce gene clones

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complementary DNA Scientific  

1. Single-stranded DNA synthesized in the laboratory using messenger RNA as a template and the enzyme reverse transcriptase. Complementary DNA is used for many purposes such as mapping chromosomes, creating clones, and sequencing genes.

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Etymology

Origin of complementary DNA

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

Using complementary DNA base-pair interactions, the system functions like a fish biting a hook, forming a catch bond.

From Science Daily

The 'DNA origami' technique uses the specific interactions between complementary DNA base pairs to build dynamic 3D nano-objects.

From Science Daily

The unique ability of complementary DNA sequences to recognize and assemble as duplexes is the biochemical mechanism for how genes are read and copied.

From Science Daily

The samples would be warmed up again, and enzymes would get to work building off those primers to finish replicating the complementary DNA sequences.

From Scientific American

Then, they added enzymes and DNA bases to the slice to translate each mRNA into a complementary DNA strand.

From Science Magazine