Definition of microRNA
genetics
: a short segment of RNA that suppresses gene expression by binding to complementary segments of messenger RNA and interfering with the formation of proteins by translation (see translation 2)
- The 2006 Nobel Prize honored the discovery of RNA interference … and RNAi has helped shed light on the fact that cells naturally use RNA molecules just 20 to 22 nucleotides long, dubbed microRNAs, to regulate gene expression.
- —Jennifer Couzin
