Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A nucleotide sequence that is found in a gene, codes information for protein synthesis, and is transcribed to messenger RNA.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In England, the name given to each of four officers of the yeomen of the royal body-guard; an exempt.
  • noun A native or inhabitant of Exeter, England.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A native or inhabitant of Exeter, in England.
  • noun engraving An officer of the Yeomen of the Guard; an Exempt.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An officer of the Queen's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard.
  • noun genetics A region of a transcribed gene present in the final functional RNA molecule.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun sequence of a gene's DNA that transcribes into protein structures

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[ex(pressed) + –on.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Apparently an attempt to express the pronunciation of French exempt.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin ex (out) + -on; intended to be distinguished from intron.

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Examples

  • Genes recombine by fusing in whole or in part, by a process known as exon shuffling exons are the separate stretches of code that are used to make one protein in split genes.

    Don't Look for the Soul in the Language of DNA Matt Ridley 2010

  • Perhaps the exon is a protogene — one that's effectively dormant until it's switched on by some external factor.

    Sagittarius Whorl May, Julian 2001

  • It's called exon skipping and basically patches over gene mutations that cause the disease.

    Aspen Times - Top Stories 2010

  • The abnormal FSHR contained a deleted sequence of protein called exon 2 that is an important part of the protein that binds the FSH; FSHR with the exon 2 deletion was only detected in women younger than 35 who had a poor response to FSH and yielded less than four oocytes in a follicle stimulating cycle.

    PhysOrg.com - latest science and technology news stories 2010

  • The researchers used a novel technique called exon skipping to restore partial function to the gene involved in Duchenne.

    Technology Review RSS Feeds 2009

  • The scientists used a method called exon skipping, which involves adding a genetic 'patch' to block transcription of a portion of the gene involved in DMD.

    Slashdot: Science 2009

  • The scientists used a method called exon skipping, which involves adding a genetic 'patch' to block transcription of a portion of the gene involved in DMD.

    Slashdot: Science 2009

  • Had to look up "exon" by Jenny Miner on Wednesday, Dec 17, 2008 at 6: 02: 40 AM

    Today is the most TERRIBLE day in the history of US farming 2008

  • Sometimes it's in the first "chapter," or exon, but sometimes it might be at the end of the gene.

    Genetics and Alagille Syndrome 2009

  • Like a proofreader searching for a typo in a book, the lab must read each exon to see if it contains a mutation.

    Genetics and Alagille Syndrome 2009

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