| nucleic acids, nucleotides, and nucleosides | Complex compounds of high molecular weight occurring in living cells. These are basically of two types, ribonucleic (RNA) and deoxyribonucleic (DNA) acids, both of which consist of nucleotides (nucleoside phosphates linked together by phosphate bridges). (12 Dec 1998) |
|---|---|
| nucleotides | The basic building blocks of nucleic acids. They are made up of a nitrogen-containing purine or pyrimidine base linked to a sugar (ribose or deoxyribose) and a phosphate group. (14 Nov 1997) |
| deoxyadenine nucleotides | Adenine nucleotides which contain deoxyribose as the sugar moiety. (12 Dec 1998) |
| deoxycytosine nucleotides | Cytosine nucleotides which contain deoxyribose as the sugar moiety. (12 Dec 1998) |
| deoxyguanine nucleotides | Guanine nucleotides which contain deoxyribose as the sugar moiety. (12 Dec 1998) |
| deoxyuracil nucleotides | Uracil nucleotides which contain deoxyribose as the sugar moiety. (12 Dec 1998) |
| thymine nucleotides | Phosphate esters of thymidine in n-glycosidic linkage with ribose or deoxyribose, as occurs in nucleic acids. (12 Dec 1998) |
| RNA, complementary | Synthetic transcripts of a specific DNA molecule or fragment, made by an in vitro transcription system. This crna can be labelled with radioactive uracil and then used as a probe. (12 Dec 1998) |
| complementary | Supplying a defect or helping to do so, making complete, accessory. Origin: L. Complere = to fill (18 Nov 1997) |
| complementary air | The maximum volume of air that can be inspired after reaching the end of a normal, quiet expiration. It is the sum of the tidal volume and the inspiratory reserve volume. Common abbreviation is ic. (12 Dec 1998) |
| complementary base pairing | <molecular biology> The pairing of complementary nucleotide bases (adenine and thymine, guanine and cytosine) to each other via hydrogen bonds from opposite strands of a double stranded nucleic acid (such as DNA or RNA), thereby holding the double-stranded nucleic acid together. (09 Oct 1997) |
| complementary base pairs | <molecular biology> The crucial property of DNA is that the two strands are complementary: Guanine and cytosine are complementary and pair up through their hydrogen bonds, as are adenine and thymine that only form two hydrogen bonds. (adenine and uracil in RNA). (18 Nov 1997) |
| complementary colours | Pairs of different colours of light that produce white light when combined. (05 Mar 2000) |
| complementary DNA | <molecular biology> DNA that is synthesised from a messenger RNA template, the single-stranded form is often used as a probe in physical mapping to locate the gene or can be cloned in the double stranded form. Viral reverse transcriptase can be used to synthesise DNA that is complementary to RNA (for example an isolated mRNA). Acronym: cDNA (13 Nov 1997) |
| complementary DNA cloning | <molecular biology, technique> A lab technique where a double-stranded cDNA molecule (or dscDNA) is inserted into a cloning vector (another DNA molecule which will continue to be capable of replication after insertion of foreign material), so that the gene encoded by the cDNA can be expressed (transcribed and used) or so many copies of the gene can be made. (09 Oct 1997) |