cdna

cdna — noun

1. a type of DNA that scientists create in a laboratory by copying a molecule of RN

1.nounC1
Definition

a type of DNA that scientists create in a laboratory by copying a molecule of RNA, using an enzyme called reverse transcriptase; it is used in genetic research to study genes and how they are expressed in different cells or conditions.

Example

Researchers used cDNA to study which genes were active in the cancer cells.

used to study gene activity (research context)

The scientist made cDNA from messenger RNA using reverse transcriptase in the lab.

synthesised from mRNA using reverse transcriptase

Common collocations
  • synthesize cDNA
  • generate cDNA
  • cDNA library
  • cDNA synthesis
  • cDNA clone
  • cDNA sequence
  • reverse-transcribe into cDNA
  • amplify cDNA
Synonyms
  • complementary DNA

    the full form of the acronym, used when first introducing the term in formal writing

  • copy DNA

    a less common alternative name that reflects its origin as a copied molecule

Antonyms
  • genomic DNA

    DNA extracted directly from the cell nucleus, which contains both coding and non-coding regions

Usage Note

Almost always written in lowercase as 'cDNA' in scientific writing. The full form 'complementary DNA' is used when introducing the term for the first time in a text.

Common Mistakes

cDNA and genomic DNA are the same thing.
cDNA is made from RNA and lacks introns, unlike genomic DNA which contains both exons and introns.
cDNA is a laboratory-made copy that does not include non-coding regions.

Word family

  • complementary DNA
    nounC1
  • reverse transcriptase
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

cDNA (complementary DNA) is a laboratory-synthesised copy of RNA, while genomic DNA (gDNA) is the native DNA found in the cell nucleus that contains all of an organism's genetic material, including both coding exons and non-coding introns. The key difference is that cDNA is made from processed mRNA and therefore lacks introns, making it shorter and easier to study in experiments. RNA itself is the single-stranded molecule that carries genetic information from DNA to the protein-making machinery. In research, cDNA is preferred over genomic DNA for studying which genes are actually active in a cell, because it reflects only the parts of the genome that are being expressed at a given time. For example, a scientist comparing cDNA from liver and brain cells can see which genes are turned on in each tissue.

cDNA ↗genomic DNARNA

Common collocations

Nouns

  • cDNA library
  • cDNA synthesis
  • cDNA clone
  • cDNA sequence
  • cDNA molecule

Phrases

  • reverse-transcribe into cDNA

Prepositions

  • of cDNA
  • from cDNA
  • into cDNA

Etymology

EnglishScientific Latin

cDNA is an acronym formed from 'complementary DNA'. The prefix 'complementary' refers to the way its nucleotide bases pair with the RNA template. The term emerged in the 1970s following the discovery of reverse transcriptase, the enzyme that makes DNA from an RNA template.