๐Ÿงฌap biology review

PIWI-Interacting RNAs (piRNAs)

Written by the Fiveable Content Team โ€ข Last updated August 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโ€ขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โ€ข Last updated August 2025

Definition

piRNAs are small non-coding RNA molecules that interact with PIWI proteins to silence transposons, which are DNA sequences that can change their position within a genome. This helps maintain genomic stability.

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