Uncharacterized Genes and Proteins: The Mysteries of the Genome

"Uncharacterized" means not well-defined or not clearly described. In the context of a gene or protein, it refers to a feature or property that has not been well-studied or characterized, such as its function, structure, or behavior under different conditions.

For example, if a researcher finds a new gene in a genome that they have not seen before, they might describe it as "uncharacterized" because they do not know what role it plays in the organism or how it functions. Similarly, if a protein has been isolated from a cell but its structure or function is not well-understood, it might be described as "uncharacterized".

In general, the term "uncharacterized" is used to indicate that more research is needed to understand the properties and behavior of a particular gene or protein.