encode
v.to change information into a special code or a different form so it can be stored or sent. In biology, it means how a gene tells a cell to make a specific protein.
v.to convert data or information into a specific code or format. In a biological context, refers to the process by which genetic information in DNA is transcribed into messenger RNA and then translated into a sequence of amino acids.
“The software can encode your voice into a digital file.”
“Scientists use specific enzymes to encode the genetic instructions found in DNA into functional proteins within the cell.”
“The genetic code is a universal system that allows the information encoded in DNA to be translated into the specific sequence of amino acids that form a protein.”
Usage encode information
“It is unique to one job, encodes no name, account number or other direct identifier, and appears in every participating company’s record.”
“For example, ΦX174 uses its own version of a spike protein to latch onto and infect bacteria; if the gene that encodes spike is missing or damaged, the virus simply wouldn’t work.”
From en- + code.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.