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In biology, a "split gene" refers to a gene whose coding sequences, called exons, are interrupted by noncoding sequences known as introns. This structure is common in eukaryotic organisms. After a gene is transcribed into RNA, the introns are removed, and the exons are spliced together to form a mature messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule that can be translated into protein. This process, called RNA splicing, is carried out by a complex molecular machine called a spliceosome. The discovery of split genes by Richard J. Roberts and Phillip A. Sharp in the 1970s revolutionized the understanding of gene structure.12

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