What term describes DNA that is synthesized from mRNA?

The term that describes DNA synthesized from mRNA is complementary DNA, often abbreviated as cDNA. This process occurs during reverse transcription, where the enzyme reverse transcriptase synthesizes cDNA using mRNA as a template. cDNA is crucial in molecular biology, particularly in techniques like cloning, gene expression analysis, and the creation of cDNA libraries.

Understanding cDNA is key because it represents a DNA form that reflects the genes that were actively expressed in a specific cell type at a given time. Researchers can use cDNA to study gene expression patterns and identify active genes without the non-coding regions of genomic DNA. In contrast, genomic DNA contains the whole genetic blueprint of an organism, while recombinant DNA refers to DNA that has been artificially created by combining genetic material from different sources. Plasmid DNA is circular DNA found in bacteria and is often used as a vector for gene cloning but does not directly derive from mRNA.