monosäikeiset

Monosäikeiset, meaning "single-stranded" in Finnish, is a term that can refer to various biological entities and structures. In the context of nucleic acids, it specifically denotes a strand of DNA or RNA that consists of a single chain of nucleotides, as opposed to a double helix formed by two complementary strands. Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) play crucial roles in molecular biology, including DNA replication, transcription, and translation. They are also found in certain viruses.

In molecular genetics, the term "monosäikeiset" can also describe genetic material that is not organized into a double helix. For instance, some viruses have a single-stranded genome. The stability and function of these single-stranded molecules are often distinct from their double-stranded counterparts, and they are frequently stabilized by specific proteins.

Beyond nucleic acids, the concept of being single-stranded can extend to other biological macromolecules. For example, some proteins may exist or function in a single-stranded or unfolded state under certain conditions, though this is less common than the usage related to nucleic acids. The term emphasizes the absence of a paired or complementary structure.