HOMOPOLYMER TAILING Meaning and
Definition
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Homopolymer tailing refers to the phenomenon in which a polymeric substance, particularly DNA or RNA, shows a deviation from the expected electrophoretic migration pattern during gel electrophoresis. In gel electrophoresis, a technique commonly used in molecular biology and biochemistry, samples that contain DNA or RNA are subjected to an electric field, causing the fragments to migrate through a gel matrix. This migration is influenced by the size and charge of the molecules.
During gel electrophoresis, homopolymer tailing occurs when a single type of nucleotide, such as adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), or thymine (T), is excessively added to the end of the polymer chain. This results in an elongated tail of the same nucleotide, leading to a skewed banding pattern on the gel. The excess addition of nucleotides is often attributed to the template-independent activity of certain DNA or RNA polymerases, also known as terminal transferase activity.
Homopolymer tailing has significance in various molecular biology applications. It is commonly observed during DNA sequencing techniques, where it can affect the accurate determination of base sequences. Additionally, this phenomenon can impact the estimation of fragment sizes in DNA or RNA samples. Researchers often employ various strategies, such as altering reaction conditions or using modified polymerases, to minimize homopolymer tailing and obtain more accurate results during gel electrophoresis.
Common Misspellings for HOMOPOLYMER TAILING
- gomopolymer tailing
- bomopolymer tailing
- nomopolymer tailing
- jomopolymer tailing
- uomopolymer tailing
- yomopolymer tailing
- himopolymer tailing
- hkmopolymer tailing
- hlmopolymer tailing
- hpmopolymer tailing
- h0mopolymer tailing
- h9mopolymer tailing
- honopolymer tailing
- hokopolymer tailing
- hojopolymer tailing
- homipolymer tailing
- homkpolymer tailing
- homlpolymer tailing
- homppolymer tailing
- hom0polymer tailing
Etymology of HOMOPOLYMER TAILING
The word "homopolymer tailing" is derived from two main components: "homopolymer" and "tailing".
1. Homopolymer: The term "homopolymer" is formed by combining two elements - "homo-" and "-polymer".
- "Homo-" is a prefix that derives from the Greek word "homos", meaning "same" or "similar".
- "-Polymer" is a suffix coming from the Greek word "polymēros", referring to something with many parts or units.
Therefore, "homopolymer" describes a polymer composed of repeating units that are identical or very similar.
2. Tailing: The word "tailing" is a noun form of the verb "tail", which means to follow or trail behind. It can also refer to an elongated part that extends past the main body.
