complementary strand
Americannoun
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either of the two chains that make up a double helix of DNA, with corresponding positions on the two chains being composed of a pair of complementary bases.
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a section of one nucleic acid chain that is bonded to another by a sequence of base pairs.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
DNA polymerase, or the main enzyme involved in DNA replication, joins nucleotides to synthesize a new complementary strand of DNA.
From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2018
The RNAi system pulls the siRNA strands apart and uses the complementary strand to seek out and bind to the target messenger, thus disabling it.
From Economist • Oct. 15, 2015
Each one contains one original strand and one newly synthesized complementary strand.
From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013
When the helix unzips, the complementary strand becomes a template; its G, T and A bases naturally attract bases that amount to a carbon copy of the original strand, CAT.
From Time Magazine Archive
The damaged copy of a gene is reconstructed using the complementary strand, or the second copy of the gene, as its guide.*
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
