Microsatellites

Microsatellites, also known as Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) or Short Tandem Repeats (STR), are repeating sequences of 1-6 base pairs of DNA.

Pronunciation

mi·cro·sat·el·lite

Etymology

The term "microsatellite" was coined in the late 1980s, derived from the Greek prefix "micro-" meaning small, and "satellite," referring to its position in relation to the main sequence.

Definition

Microsatellites are a type of polymorphism found in DNA. They consist of a sequence of repeating units of 1-6 base pairs in length. These sequences are highly variable, both in their repeat unit and the number of repeats, making them useful for genetic mapping and population genetics studies.

Related Terms

Polymorphism: The occurrence of different forms among the members of a population or colony, or in the life cycle of an individual organism.
Genetic mapping: The process of determining the locus for a particular biological trait.
Population genetics: The study of the distributions and changes of allele frequency in a population, as the population is subject to the four main evolutionary processes: mutation, genetic drift, gene flow, and natural selection.
DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid, a self-replicating material present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes. It is the carrier of genetic information.
SSR: Simple Sequence Repeats, another term for microsatellites.
STR: Short Tandem Repeats, another term for microsatellites.

External links

Medical encyclopedia article on Microsatellites
Wikipedia's article - Microsatellites

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Microsatellites