polymerase

American  

[pol-uh-muh-rays, -rayz] / ˈpɒl ə məˌreɪs, -ˌreɪz /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. any of several enzymes that catalyze the formation of a long-chain molecule by linking smaller molecular units, as nucleotides with nucleic acids.

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polymerase British  

/ pəˈlɪməreɪz /

noun

1. any enzyme that catalyses the synthesis of a polymer, esp the synthesis of DNA or RNA

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polymerase Scientific  

/ pə-lĭm′ə-rās′,pŏl′ə-mə-rās′ /

1. Any of various enzymes, such as DNA polymerase, RNA polymerase, or reverse transcriptase, that catalyze the formation of sequences of DNA or RNA using an existing strand of DNA or RNA as a template.

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Etymology

Origin of polymerase

First recorded in 1955–60; polymer + -ase

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

polymerase

That binding interferes with transcription of the gene, either by disrupting the activity of RNA polymerase, the enzyme that produces RNA, or by preventing transcription factors from attaching to DNA.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026

Now, a team of international scientists, including University of Michigan researchers, have used advanced microscopy to image how ribosomes recruit to mRNA while it's being transcribed by an enzyme called RNA polymerase, or RNAP.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 28, 2024

According to testing records, the initial sample of store-bought raw milk carried high levels of the virus, and was found to have a polymerase chain reaction cycle threshold — or Ct — of roughly 25.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 27, 2024

The numbers are likely to be underestimates: Oropouche’s symptoms resemble those of dengue, Zika, and several other diseases, and an infection can only be confirmed using polymerase chain reaction or antibody tests.

From Science Magazine ● Jun. 4, 2024

Once the unwinding is under way, a remarkable enzyme called DNA polymerase helps ensure that the copying works almost perfectly.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

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