# riboswitch

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A segment within the leading end of a messenger RNA transcript that is able to gauge the cell's need for the protein encoded by the rest of the message, then to rearrange its shape to control whether that protein is manufactured

## Etymology
From ribo- + switch.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/riboswitch