Complementary DNA (cDNA): DNAplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigDNA: deoxyribonucleic acid. The genetic material for nearly all life on Earth. that has been reverse transcribed from spliced mRNAplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigmessenger RNA (mRNA): an RNA molecule that codes for protein. using reverse transcriptaseplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigReverse transcriptase: an enzyme that is usually isolated from retroviruses. It catalyzes the formation of cDNA using RNA (usually mRNA) as a template.. cDNAplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigComplementary DNA (cDNA): DNA that has been reverse transcribed from spliced mRNA using reverse transcriptase. cDNA sequences are useful because they lack intron sequences and therefore contain information about the ORF of intron-containing eukaryotic genes. sequencesplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigSequence: the precise order of monomers in a polymer. In DNA, it refers to the order of G, A, T, and C nucleotides. In RNA, it refers to the order of G, A, U, and C nucleotides. In proteins, it refers to the order of amino acids. are useful because they lack intronplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigIntron: sequences in a pre-mRNA that sit between exons and are removed by splicing. Formally speaking, introns are defined as being part of pre-mRNA, but the DNA sequence that codes for introns can also be informally described as introns. sequencesplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigSequence: the precise order of monomers in a polymer. In DNA, it refers to the order of G, A, T, and C nucleotides. In RNA, it refers to the order of G, A, U, and C nucleotides. In proteins, it refers to the order of amino acids. and therefore contain information about the ORFplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigOpen reading frame (ORF): an RNA sequence that begins with a start codon and continues for at least a defined distance (usually 100 codons, or 300 nucleotides long) without encountering an in-frame stop codon. of intronplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigIntron: sequences in a pre-mRNA that sit between exons and are removed by splicing. Formally speaking, introns are defined as being part of pre-mRNA, but the DNA sequence that codes for introns can also be informally described as introns.-containing eukaryoticplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigeukaryote: organism whose cells have membrane bound organelles, including the nucleus. genesplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigGene: read Chapters 02, 03, 04, 05, and 06 for a definition of gene :-).