DIDEOXY Meaning and
Definition
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Dideoxy is an adjective that refers to a method or process used in DNA sequencing. It specifically describes the dideoxy sequencing technique, which is also known as Sanger sequencing.
In dideoxy sequencing, the DNA template is first divided into four separate reaction mixtures. Each mixture contains all the standard DNA building blocks (adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine), as well as a small amount of a dideoxy nucleotide. A dideoxy nucleotide is similar to a regular DNA building block but lacks a hydroxyl group at the 3' carbon of the sugar, which is essential for DNA chain elongation. This lack of a hydroxyl group causes termination of DNA synthesis at specific points.
During the sequencing reaction, DNA polymerase adds the dideoxy nucleotide to the growing DNA chain at random intervals. The reaction is stopped when a dideoxy nucleotide is incorporated, which occurs stochastically. The resulting mixture of fragments is then separated according to their sizes using gel electrophoresis, which enables the determination of the order of nucleotides in the original DNA template.
The dideoxy sequencing method, utilizing the dideoxy nucleotides, allows for the determination of the base sequence of DNA molecules. This technique has been widely used in molecular biology and genetics research to unravel the genetic code and study the structure, function, and evolution of genes.
Common Misspellings for DIDEOXY
- sideoxy
- xideoxy
- cideoxy
- fideoxy
- rideoxy
- eideoxy
- dudeoxy
- djdeoxy
- dkdeoxy
- dodeoxy
- d9deoxy
- d8deoxy
- diseoxy
- dixeoxy
- diceoxy
- difeoxy
- direoxy
- dieeoxy
- didwoxy
- didsoxy
Etymology of DIDEOXY
The word "dideoxy" is derived from the combination of two components: "di-" and "deoxy".
The prefix "di-" is derived from the Greek word "dis", meaning "twice" or "double". It is commonly used in English to indicate "two" or "double".
The term "deoxy" is derived from the combination of "de-" (meaning "removal" or "absence") and "oxy" (related to oxygen or oxygenation). In the context of molecular biology and genetics, it commonly refers to DNA molecules that lack an oxygen group at a specific location, such as in dideoxynucleotides.
Therefore, the term "dideoxy" is used to denote DNA sequencing methods that utilize modified nucleotides known as dideoxynucleotides or ddNTPs.
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