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definitions

frameshift

[ freym-shift ]
/ ˈfreɪmˌʃɪft /

noun Genetics.

the addition or deletion of one or more nucleotides in a strand of DNA, which shifts the codon triplets of the genetic code of messenger RNA and causes a misreading during translation, resulting in an aberrant protein and therefore a mutation.

Nearby words

  1. frame of reference,
  2. frame saw,
  3. frame story,
  4. frame-up,
  5. framepack,
  6. frameshift mutation,
  7. framework,
  8. framing,
  9. framing chisel,
  10. framing square

Origin of frameshift

frame + shift
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Science definitions for frameshift

frameshift

[ frām′shĭft′ ]

Relating to a mutation that occurs when one or two nucleotides are added or deleted, with the result that every codon beyond the point of insertion or deletion is read incorrectly during translation. See more at point mutation.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.