circular deoxyribonucleic acid

circular deoxyribonucleic acid

[′sər·kyə·lər dē¦äk·sē¦rī‚bō¦nü¦klē·ik ′as·əd] (biochemistry) A single- or double-stranded ring of deoxyribonucleic acid found in certain bacteriophages and in human wart virus. Also known as ring deoxyribonucleic acid. A deoxyribonucleic acid molecule that has no free 5′ or 3′ ends; characteristic of prokaryotes but also found in mitochondria, chloroplasts, and some viral genomes.