amplicon

noun

am·​pli·​con ˈam-plə-ˌkän 

plural amplicons

genetics

: a segment of chromosomal DNA that undergoes amplification and contains replicated genetic material

After PCR, the amplicon is captured by hybridization to a specific oligonucleotide probe, which increases the overall specificity of the test.

—Benjamin T. Davis et al., New England Journal of Medicine, 19 Jan. 2006

Word History

Etymology

ampli(fy) (in cloning-amplifying vector) + -icon (as in replicon)

First Known Use

1982, in the meaning defined above

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