Biologically Active Substance
satellite DNA
sat·el·lite DNA
Subclass of:
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA);
Tandem Repeat Sequences;
DNA, Intergenic
Definitions related to dna, satellite:
-
(satellite dna) DNA that contains many tandem highly repetitive sequences, that have a base composition (and thus density) sufficiently different from that of normal DNA that it sediments as a distinct band in cesium chloride density gradients. Satellite DNA is located at very specific spots in the genome (on chromosomes 1, 9, 16 and the Y chromosome, the tiny short arms of chromosomes 13-15 and 21 and 22, and near the centromeres of chromosomes).NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
-
Highly repetitive DNA sequences found in HETEROCHROMATIN, mainly near centromeres. They are composed of simple sequences (very short) repeated in tandem many times to form large blocks of sequence. Additionally, following the accumulation of mutations, these blocks of repeats have been repeated in tandem themselves. The degree of repetition is on the order of 1000 to 10 million at each locus. Loci are few, usually one or two per chromosome. They were called satellites since in density gradients, they often sediment as distinct, satellite bands separate from the bulk of genomic DNA owing to a distinct BASE COMPOSITION.NLM Medical Subject HeadingsU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
Return to OpenMD Medical Dictionary
> S
This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.