Molecular biology

Molecular biology

Contributors in Molecular biology

Molecular biology

A method to generate a pattern of DNA restriction fragments that is unique to an individual, especially for forensic purposes. DNA from blood, semen or another tissue sample is isolated and cleaved ...

Open reading frame (ORF)

Biology; Biochemistry

One of three possible reading frames in which an mRNA is potentially translated into protein. In analysis of a DNA sequence, an ORF is characterised by the sequence of nucleotides that when ...

Phase transition

Biology; Biochemistry

A melting-like phenomenon that occurs when lipid bilayers are warmed, usually below the naturally occurring temperature of a plasma membrane; due to thermal disruption of the regular stacking of ...

Cofactor

Biology; Biochemistry

A compound that is covalently or non-covalently bound to a protein and that participates in the protein's function. In the case of an enzyme, a loosely held cofactor is called a coenzyme, essentially ...

Singlet state

Biology; Biochemistry

An excited electronic state in which an electron is raised to a higher energy level without reversal of its spin state, and thus is easily able to fall back to its ground state, often with a ...

Axoneme

Biology; Biochemistry

The fundamental structural unit of eukaryotic flagella and cilia; it is composed of nine microtubular doublets (in cross-section a microtubule with another fused to it) surrounding two microtubule ...

Cis-acting

Biology; Biochemistry

Descriptive of the controlling effect of a regulatory gene on a structural gene that is adjacent to it; later broadened to distinguish intramolecular (cis) from intermolecular (trans) actions.