Explanation

Mobile genetic element is broadly any genetic element capable of moving itself, with or without duplication, from one site in a genome to another. Mobile genetic elements include plasmids, viruses, transposable genetic elements (transposons), short interspread elements, pathogenicity islands and so on. The term ‘transposon’ was introduced RW Hedges and AE Jacob in 1974, ‘controlling elements’ or jumping genes, discovered by Barbara McClintock (1950) in maize