核 酸(かくさん)

かくさん

noun

nucleic acid

1. nucleic acid

A class of biological molecules — DNA and RNA — that carry genetic information in all living organisms. Essential to the fields of genetics, molecular biology, and biotechnology.

核酸(かくさん)にはDNAとRNAがある。

There are two types of nucleic acid: DNA and RNA.

核酸(かくさん)は遺伝(いでん)情報(じょうほう)を担(にな)う重要(じゅうよう)な物質(ぶっしつ)だ。

Nucleic acids are important substances that carry genetic information.

ウイルスの核酸(かくさん)を検出(けんしゅつ)するPCR検査(けんさ)は、感染症(かんせんしょう)の診断(しんだん)に広(ひろ)く使(つか)われている。

PCR testing, which detects viral nucleic acids, is widely used for diagnosing infectious diseases.

Composed of 核(かく) (nucleus, core) and 酸(さん) (acid). So named because nucleic acids were first isolated from cell nuclei. The term became widely known to the general public through PCR testing during the COVID-19 pandemic, where "nucleic acid testing" (核酸(かくさん)検査(けんさ)) became a household phrase in Japan.

Note: the homophone 拡散(かくさん) (spread, diffusion) is a completely different word.

Common collocations

核酸(かくさん)検査(けんさ): nucleic acid test (PCR test)
核酸(かくさん)の構造(こうぞう): structure of nucleic acids
核酸(かくさん)医薬品(いやくひん): nucleic acid therapeutics
核酸(かくさん)を抽出(ちゅうしゅつ)する: to extract nucleic acids

Related words

DNA (ディーエヌエー): deoxyribonucleic acid — one of the two types of nucleic acid
RNA (アールエヌエー): ribonucleic acid — the other type of nucleic acid
遺伝子(いでんし): gene — a functional unit of nucleic acid
塩基(えんき): base (chemistry) — the building blocks of nucleic acid sequences

Related Words

Related: 遺伝子(いでんし) (gene)

general

Added 2026.5.1 1:26 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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