plasmid

[ plaz-mid ]

/ ˈplæz mɪd /

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noun Microbiology.

a segment of DNA independent of the chromosomes and capable of replication, occurring in bacteria and yeast: used in recombinant DNA procedures to transfer genetic material from one cell to another.

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Origin of plasmid

First recorded in 1950–55; plasm- + -id³

Words nearby plasmid

plasmasol, plasmasphere, plasma tail, plasma torch, plasma TV, plasmid, plasmin, plasminogen, plasmo-, plasmodesma, plasmodial slime mold

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use plasmid in a sentence

The big picture is that researchers, aided by machine-learning systems, are getting really good at finding the lab that built a given plasmid, or a specific DNA strand used in gene manipulation.
How biological detective work can reveal who engineered a virus|Kelsey Piper|October 24, 2021|Vox
They had 82 percent top 1 accuracy — that is, 82 percent of the time, the lab they identified as the likely designer of that bioengineered plasmid was, in fact, the lab that designed it.
How biological detective work can reveal who engineered a virus|Kelsey Piper|October 24, 2021|Vox
In the early days, labs would compose original plasmids from scratch to match their specific projects, but “with the commercialization of scientific research,” says Kolter, the power of genetic transformation is as accessible as it has ever been.
E. coli isn’t always bad—it’s actually an unlikely research hero|Erin Fennessy|September 27, 2021|Popular-Science
When incorporated successfully, the host organism will now express the gene coded on the plasmid as if it was always there.
E. coli isn’t always bad—it’s actually an unlikely research hero|Erin Fennessy|September 27, 2021|Popular-Science

Plasmid technology is central to the manufacturing process for the Pfizer mRNA vaccine.
E. coli isn’t always bad—it’s actually an unlikely research hero|Erin Fennessy|September 27, 2021|Popular-Science

British Dictionary definitions for plasmid

plasmid

/ (ˈplæzmɪd) /

noun

a small circle of bacterial DNA that is independent of the main bacterial chromosome. Plasmids often contain genes for drug resistances and can be transmitted between bacteria of the same and different species: used in genetic engineering

Word Origin for plasmid

C20: from plasm + -id 1

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 plasmid

plasmid

[ plăz′mĭd ]

A small, circular unit of DNA that replicates within a cell independently of the chromosomal DNA and is most often found in bacteria. Certain plasmids can insert themselves into chromosomes in places where there is a common sequence of nucleotides. Plasmids contain a few genes, which usually code for proteins, especially enzymes, some of which confer resistance to antibiotics. Plasmids are used in recombinant DNA research, especially to transform bacterial cells. See more at transformation.

Cultural definitions for plasmid

plasmid

A circular bacterial DNA, sometimes used as a vector for gene insertion or genetic engineering. Plasmids are often the site of genes that code for resistance to antibiotics.