strands

Strands are slender filaments or threads that comprise larger materials, such as hair, fibers, or polymers. The term is used across science, manufacturing, and daily language to denote a single filament within a broader structure.

In biology, a DNA strand is a polymer of nucleotides; the human genome contains two complementary strands that form the double helix, while RNA is typically single-stranded. Strands can be linear or circular in different contexts, and base pairing encodes genetic information.

In textiles and engineering, strands are the basic units of fibers and wires. A hair strand is a single fiber of hair. Strands can be twisted into yarns and plied to increase strength. Conductors use multi-strand wires to improve flexibility and current-carrying capacity, and fiber-optic cables use glass or plastic strands to transmit light.

Geographically, strand also means a shore or beach, a usage still found in various languages and place names such as The Strand in some cities. In literature and analysis, narrative strands refer to individual plotlines or thematic threads that run through a story.

As a verb, to strand means to leave someone in a place where they cannot easily leave or are stranded without means of aid, which can refer to people, ships, or animals.