terminator

Definition

A DNA sequence that basically tells RNA polymerase to shut up and go home—the molecular equivalent of a bouncer. When this bad boy shows up, transcription stops cold and your mRNA transcript gets the axe.

Example Usage

The rho-independent terminator sequence halted transcription right on schedule.

Source: Common molecular biology terminology

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course catalog

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The academic sin of presenting someone else's work as your own, which is career-ending for students and a Tuesday afternoon for politicians. Universities fight it with sophisticated detection software that students fight with even more sophisticated paraphrasing.

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The formal presentation where doctoral candidates publicly justify years of research to a committee of experts who've already decided the outcome. Part academic ritual, part hazing ceremony, part theater for the university's entertainment.

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The grace period at the beginning of a semester when students can freely abandon classes they've realized are terrible without penalty. After this window closes, escaping requires navigating increasingly painful bureaucratic processes and fees.

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Intermediate

baccalaureate

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legacy admission

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