An intron is a non-coding segment of a gene that is transcribed into RNA but is not translated into protein. Introns play an essential role in gene expression regulation and the processing of precursor messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) into mature mRNA through a process called splicing, which removes introns and joins exons together. This allows for the production of different protein variants from a single gene through alternative splicing, highlighting their importance in genetic diversity and cellular function.
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