Definition
noun
(general) The process, act, or state of terminating
(biochemistry) A process in which the mRNA synthesis (i.e. transcription) or protein synthesis (i.e. during translation) stops at the terminator site
Supplement
In general, the term termination refers to the state, act, or process of reaching the end or bringing to an end. In biology, the term often denotes to a biological process where a biological entity is being ended or completed. For instance, translation, a step in protein biosynthesis wherein the genetic code carried by mRNA is decoded to produce the specific sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain, ends in the so-called termination step. In essence, translation begins when a small subunit of the ribosome binds to the 5′ end of mRNA with the help of initiation factors and then followed by a step wherein the next aminoacyl-tRNA in line binds to the ribosome along with GTP and an elongation factor). The last step is referred to as termination. This is when the A site of the ribosome encounters a stop codon (UAA, UAG, or UGA).
Termination is also the final step in gene transcription (the process of transcribing or making a copy of genetic information stored in a DNA strand into a complementary strand of mRNA).
Related form(s):
- terminate (verb, to end, to bring to an end, or to reach the end)
