RNA

noun

ˌär-(ˌ)en-ˈā

: any of various nucleic acids that contain ribose and uracil as structural components and are associated with the control of cellular chemical activities compare messenger rna, ribosomal rna, transfer rna

Examples of RNA in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web These data were gathered using a technique called single-cell RNA sequencing, which lets researchers catalog individual cells' molecular profiles instead of averaging them in a bulk tissue sample. —

Simon Makin, Scientific American, 21 Nov. 2023 Read More: Scientists Reveal Which Brain Regions Regulate Movement RNA Sequencing and Motor Function To do this, Mark Anderson, director of central nervous system regeneration at NeuroRestore and colleagues at EPFL, devised a multipronged approach. —

Gail Dutton, Discover Magazine, 16 Nov. 2023 This will look at RNA medicines, monoclonal antibodies, and base-editing as novel options to improve coronary artery disease. —

Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 10 Nov. 2023 Then came a twice-yearly RNA injection that prevents PCSK9 from being made. —

Gina Kolata, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2023 The 2009 invention of single-cell RNA sequencing, a laboratory technique that allows scientists to analyze the genetic information of individual cells, has helped in better dissecting the circuitry that give hypothalamic clusters their diverse functions. —

Popular Science, 26 Oct. 2023 One study published today in Science used single-nucleus RNA sequencing to measure the gene expression of individual brain cells in humans and five other primate species, including chimpanzees and gorillas. —

Popular Science, 12 Oct. 2023 In a paper published on 25 September in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, the team demonstrates that the strategy can simultaneously detect 40 biomarkers from human blood serum, including proteins, small RNA pieces called microRNA, and chemicals transmitted by brain cells (neurotransmitters). —

IEEE Spectrum, 9 Oct. 2023 Penn Medicine Weissman has been studying RNA, a molecule in most living organisms and viruses, for nearly 30 years at UPenn. mRNA, or messenger RNA, tells your body how to make proteins and the mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 tells your body how to copy the coronavirus' spike proteins. —

Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'RNA.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

ribonucleic acid

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of RNA was in 1942

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“RNA.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/RNA. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

RNA

noun

ˌär-ˌen-ˈā

: any of various nucleic acids that are typically found in the cytoplasm of cells, are usually composed of a single chain of nucleotides, differ from DNA in containing ribose as the five-carbon sugar instead of deoxyribose, and that function mostly in protein synthesis

called also ribonucleic acid

compare messenger rna, ribosomal rna, transfer rna

Medical Definition

RNA

noun

ˌär-ˌen-ˈā

: any of various nucleic acids that contain ribose and uracil as structural components and are associated with the control of cellular chemical activities

called also ribonucleic acid

see messenger rna, ribosomal rna, transfer rna