Kilobase
Kilobase (kb)
Kilobase (pronunciation: /ˈkɪləˌbeɪs/), often abbreviated as kb, is a unit of measurement in molecular biology equal to 1000 base pairs of DNA or RNA.
Etymology
The term "Kilobase" is a portmanteau of the words "kilo-", a prefix in the International System of Units (SI) denoting a factor of 1000, and "base", referring to the building blocks of the nucleic acids DNA and RNA.
Definition
In molecular biology, a kilobase (kb) is a unit of length for DNA fragments equal to 1000 nucleotides. It is commonly used in the field of genetics to describe the size of a gene or an area of a DNA molecule.
Related Terms
- Base pair: A pair of complementary bases in a double-stranded nucleic acid molecule, consisting of a purine in one strand linked by hydrogen bonds to a pyrimidine in the other.
- Nucleotide: The basic building block of nucleic acids. RNA and DNA are polymers made of long chains of nucleotides.
- Molecular biology: The branch of biology that deals with the structure and function of the macromolecules (e.g. proteins and nucleic acids) essential to life.
- Genetics: The study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in living organisms.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Kilobase
- Wikipedia's article - Kilobase
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