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DNA

Browse the Dictionary:: A; B; C; D; E; F; G; H; I; J; K; L; M; N; O; P; Q; R; S; T; U; V; W; X; Y; Z; #

dna

Main Entry:: DNA
Pronunciation:: \ˌdē-ˌen-ˈā\
Function:: noun
Etymology:: deoxyribonucleic acid
Date:: 1944

: any of various nucleic acids that are usually the molecular basis of heredity, are constructed of a double helix held together by hydrogen bonds between purine and pyrimidine bases which project inward from two chains containing alternate links of deoxyribose and phosphate, and that in eukaryotes are localized chiefly in cell nuclei — compare recombinant dna

[DNA illustration]

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