: a polynucleotide sequence in a nucleic acid that does not code information for protein synthesis and is removed before translation of messenger RNA compare exon
Examples of intron in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Several mechanisms that could create introns have been identified, and all of them may have contributed some introns to eukaryotes.
—
Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 30 Mar. 2023
Moreover, the mystery around the origins of introns only deepens in light of the extreme variation in where introns tend to show up throughout the eukaryote tree of life.
—Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 30 Mar. 2023
But some of the intron RNA can get turned into small RNAs that are involved in protein production.
—Quanta Magazine, 1 Sep. 2021
There are now about a dozen individual changes in the amino acids used to make the protein, and the nearby DNA has picked up both an insertion (an intron) and several deletions.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 23 Feb. 2018
Forty percent of these sites, however, were in between genes; another 47 percent were in introns, parts of a gene that aren't used to encode a protein.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 8 Nov. 2017
Named for parts of genes called introns and exons, Intrexon was founded in 1998 by Thomas D. Reed and his wife, Jackie, to supply DNA constructs for research with genetically engineered mice.
—Andrew Pollack, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2016
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 30 Mar. 2023
Moreover, the mystery around the origins of introns only deepens in light of the extreme variation in where introns tend to show up throughout the eukaryote tree of life.
—Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 30 Mar. 2023
But some of the intron RNA can get turned into small RNAs that are involved in protein production.
—Quanta Magazine, 1 Sep. 2021
There are now about a dozen individual changes in the amino acids used to make the protein, and the nearby DNA has picked up both an insertion (an intron) and several deletions.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 23 Feb. 2018
Forty percent of these sites, however, were in between genes; another 47 percent were in introns, parts of a gene that aren't used to encode a protein.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 8 Nov. 2017
Named for parts of genes called introns and exons, Intrexon was founded in 1998 by Thomas D. Reed and his wife, Jackie, to supply DNA constructs for research with genetically engineered mice.
—Andrew Pollack, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2016
Cite this Entry
“Intron.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intron. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share