Definition
Non-coding sections of a gene that are removed from the final RNA transcript before translation.
Use in clinical context
Introns contain important information that helps to make proteins but do not code for amino acids. They are removed during protein synthesis in a process known as splicing. Changes in the intron sequence can result in splice variants and may alter the reading frame of the gene, affecting the exons and the final protein.
Related terms
Amino acids | Exons | Gene | Protein | Ribonucleic acid (RNA) | Splicing | Transcription | Translation
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