satellite DNA

genetics

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July 13, 2026

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Satellite DNA is a fraction of eukaryotic DNA that differs in density from most of the organism's DNA. It consists of short, repetitive nucleotide sequences, often found near centromeres, and does not undergo transcription.1

In contrast to prokaryotes, most eukaryotes contain repetitive DNA, which can be clustered or spread throughout the genome. Satellite DNA is one category of repetitive DNA, characterized by short sequences repeated thousands of times. While minisatellites and microsatellites are also types of repetitive DNA with varying repeat lengths and distributions, the function of satellite DNA remains unknown.2

The unique patterns of repetitive DNA, such as minisatellites, form the basis of DNA fingerprinting, a method developed by Alec Jeffreys to identify individuals based on their unique DNA sequences.3

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heredity
Repetitive DNA
…genome (dispersed repeats), and (3) satellite DNA, which contains short nucleotide sequences repeated as many as thousands of times. Such repeats are often found clustered in tandem near the centromeres (i.e., the attachment points for the nuclear spindle fibres that move chromosomes during cell division). Microsatellite DNA is composed of…
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…genome (dispersed repeats), and (3) satellite DNA, which contains short nucleotide sequences repeated as many as thousands of times. Such repeats are often found clustered in tandem near the centromeres (i.e., the attachment points for the nuclear spindle fibres that move chromosomes during cell division). Microsatellite DNA is composed of…
Read More