Noncoding

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Denoting sequences of DNA or RNA that do not encode for proteins
2. Referring to genetic elements that play regulatory or structural roles without translating into amino acids
3. Characterizing regions of genetic material involved in control mechanisms rather than direct protein synthesis

Etymology: "Noncoding" is a plain modern compound: the prefix "non-" attached to "coding," which itself comes from the Old English "nān," meaning "none," combined with the Old English "code" borrowed from Latin "codex." The adjective names DNA and RNA sequences that do not get translated into amino acids, a sense that only makes sense once "coding" has been applied to genetic material. The "non-" prefix goes back to Old English "nān," meaning "not one," which descends through Middle English "non" into the modern negating prefix. Its shift from a word meaning "none" into a prefix that attaches freely to other words is what allows a scientist to build "noncoding" on the spot from an existing term. "Coding," the base, reflects the older sense of "code" as a system of symbols, and in genetics it describes sequences that specify protein products. The compound therefore reads literally as "not coding," and it was formed by a straightforward combination of two English elements rather than by borrowing from another language.

Synonyms: non-protein-coding, nontranslated, nonfunctional, inactive, extraneous

Antonyms: coding, functional, active, translated, productive