prim·er (pr  m r)n. A segment of DNA or RNA that is complementary to a given DNA sequence and that is needed to initiate replication by DNA polymerase. |
primer
[prī′mər]
1 a short piece of DNA or RNA complementary to a given DNA sequence that acts as a point at which replication can proceed, as in a polymerase chain reaction.
2 a molecule, such as a small polymer, that induces the synthesis of a larger molecule.
primer
oligonucleotide which is hydrogen-bonded to the template strand of DNA; required for the replication of DNA by polymerase.
random primer method
a method of labeling DNA in vitro.
primer walking
an orderly method for sequencing DNA which involves obtaining some sequence, then making an oligonucleotide primer to the end of the sequence obtained and using it as a primer for the next sequencing reaction and repeating this until the whole sequence is determined.
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