complementation

American  

[kom-pluh-muhn-tey-shuhn] / ˌkɒm plə mənˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

1. complementary distribution.

2. Genetics. the occurrence of a wild-type phenotype when two closely related, interacting mutant genes are expressed in the same cell.

3. Grammar.

   1. complement.

   2. the use of grammatical complements.

4. cooperation in lowering tariffs to permit the movement of components among different countries when it is more profitable for each country to produce parts of a product than the whole.

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complementation British  

/ ˌkɒmplɪmɛnˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of forming a complement

2. genetics the combination of two homologous chromosomes, each with a different recessive mutant gene, in a single cell to produce a normal phenotype. The deficiency of one homologue is supplied by the normal allele of the other

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Etymology

Origin of complementation

First recorded in 1935–40; complement + -ation

Example Sentences

Complementation assays with luciferase can also be used with multiple colours of proteins and have the advantage that the enzyme easily breaks apart and reforms, allowing researchers to study how interactions can be disrupted.

From Nature • Apr. 11, 2012