transposon (redirected from Retrotransposition)

transposon /trans·po·son/ (trans-po´zon) a small mobile genetic (DNA) element that moves around the genome or to other genomes within the same cell, usually by copying itself to a second site but sometimes by splicing itself out of its original site and inserting in a new location. Eukaryotic transposons are sometimes called transposable elements.

---

trans·po·son (trns-pzn)

n.

A segment of DNA having a repeat of an insertion sequence element at each end as well as genes specific to some other activity such as resistance to antibiotics; it is capable of migrating to a new position within the same or another chromosome, plasmid, or cell and thereby transferring genetic properties.

---

transposon

see transposable genetic elements.