misincorporation

Wrong element added

Misincorporation is the erroneous insertion of a wrong component into a larger structure.

The term appears most often in molecular biology, where it refers to a polymerase inserting the wrong nucleotide during DNA or RNA synthesis: The drug works by promoting misincorporation during viral replication.

More broadly, it can describe any faulty inclusion in an assembly process.

translation

amino acid

Protein's molecular subunit

ribosomeProtein synthesis site
codonBase triplet encoding amino
anticodontRNA's matching triplet

tRNA · mRNA · polypeptide · protein synthesis · wobble · reading frame · mistranslation · misfolding · quality control

mutation

substitution

Exchange of one for another

frameshiftAltered reading of codons
point mutationSingle nucleotide change in DNA
mutagenesisInducing stable genetic changes

mismatch · error · deletion · insertion · carcinogen · mutagen · spontaneous · induced · nonsense · transition

replication

polymerase

Nucleic acid synthesis enzyme

nucleotideGenetic code subunit
fidelityLoyalty or exactness
proofreadingChecking text for mistakes

template · strand · synthesis · elongation · primer · lagging · leading · antiparallel · error rate · mismatch

Opposites

accuracy of integration

misincorporationfidelity

Loyalty or exactness

precision · accuracy

process outcome (biochemistry)

misincorporationproofreading

Checking text for mistakes

Family

misincorporated, incorporate, incorporated, incorporates, incorporating, incorporation, incorporations, incorporator, reincorporate

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