polynucleotide

[ pol-ee-noo-klee-uh-tahyd, -nyoo- ]

noun

, Biochemistry.

1. a sequence of nucleotides, as in DNA or RNA, bound into a chain.

polynucleotide

/ ˌpɒlɪˈnjuːklɪəˌtaɪd /

noun

1. biochem a molecular chain of nucleotides chemically bonded by a series of ester linkages between the phosphoryl group of one nucleotide and the hydroxyl group of the sugar in the adjacent nucleotide. Nucleic acids consist of long chains of polynucleotides

Word History and Origins

Origin of polynucleotide¹

First recorded in 1910–15; poly- + nucleotide