transposable element

noun

: a segment of genetic material that is capable of changing its location in the genome or in some bacteria of undergoing transfer between an extrachromosomal plasmid and a chromosome

Examples of transposable element in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web To see if the California two-spot octopus and bobtail squid chromosomes with many transposable elements matched, the researchers compared the genetic content on the outlier chromosomes for the two species. Viviane Callier, Scientific American, 3 Sep. 2024 And the bobtail squid, which diverged from the California two-spot octopus between 350 million and 250 million years ago, had a chromosome that was an outlier in having more transposable elements than its other chromosomes—possibly the same Z chromosome as the octopus. Viviane Callier, Scientific American, 3 Sep. 2024 And a gene family that silences transposable elements appears to have far fewer members in the South American lungfish. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 14 Aug. 2024 In the case of the lungfish, most of the junk seems to be transposable elements; the South American species, which has twice the amount of DNA as its two relatives, also has twice the number of transposable elements. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 14 Aug. 2024 Could eukaryotes’ tendency toward expansion be linked to the transposable elements — the leaping, self-duplicating bits of DNA — that have infested eukaryotic genomes for eons? Quanta Magazine, 2 May 2024 STRs themselves may arise in several ways — for example, through errors in DNA replication or the activity of DNA segments called transposable elements that make copies of themselves throughout the genome. Philip Ball, Quanta Magazine, 14 Feb. 2024 Most of these mobile sequences, called transposable elements, have since lost their jumping abilities, tamed by evolution. Celia Ford, WIRED, 17 July 2023 Most of these genes arose via gene duplication, rather than through transposable elements (genes that jump from one location to another). Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, 9 Nov. 2017

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

Word History

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of transposable element was in 1979

Dictionary Entries Near transposable element

Cite this Entry

“Transposable element.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transposable%20element. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.

Medical Definition

transposable element

noun
: a segment of genetic material that is capable of changing its location in the genome or that in some bacteria is capable of undergoing transfer between an extrachromosomal plasmid and a chromosome

called also transposable genetic element

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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