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complementary DNA

[ kom-pluh-men-tuh-ree dee-en-ahy ]
/ ˈkɒm pləˌmɛn tə ri ˈdiˈɛnˈaɪ /
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noun
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Origin of complementary DNA

First recorded in 1960–65
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use complementary DNA in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for complementary DNA

complementary DNA

noun
a form of DNA artificially synthesized from a messenger RNA template and used in genetic engineering to produce gene clonesAbbreviation: cDNA
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for complementary DNA

complementary DNA

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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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