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expressed sequence tag
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expressed sequence tag

biochemistry
Also known as: EST
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Quick Summary

Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) are a method used in genomics to identify and study genes. Genomics itself focuses on an organism's entire set of genetic material, its genome, which is made up of DNA. This DNA is organized into chromosomes, containing genes that are the fundamental units of heredity.

ESTs are short sequences of DNA that are derived from a complementary DNA (cDNA) molecule, which is synthesized from messenger RNA (mRNA). mRNA is transcribed from genes and carries the genetic code for building proteins. By sequencing these short ESTs, scientists can identify which genes are being expressed (turned on) in a particular cell or tissue at a specific time. This helps in understanding gene function and mapping genomes.1

While ESTs are a valuable tool in genomics, the term "EST" can also be an abbreviation for "Eastern Standard Time".2

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. EST
  2. genomics

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