-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
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
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 10 Jun. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share