9th: Chapter 12 Biology Terms
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50 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 "Double helix" | two strands of nucleotides wound about each other; structure of DNA |
| Amino acid | compound with an animo group on one end and a carboxyl group; what makes proteins for DNA |
| Anticodon | group of three bases on a tRNA molecule that are complementary to an mRNA codon |
| Bacteriophage | virus that infects bacteria |
| Base pairing | principle that bonds in DNA can form only between adenine and thymine and between guanine and cytosine |
| Chromatin | granular material visible within the nucleus; consists of DNA tightly coiled around proteins |
| Chromosomal mutation | a change in the chromosome structure, resulting in new gene combinations |
| Chromosome | threadlike structure within the nucleus containing the genetic information that is passed from one generation of cells to the next |
| Codon | three-nucleotide sequence on mRNA that codes for a single amino acid |
| Deletion | change to a chromosome in which a fragment of the chromosome is removed |
| DNA | deoxyribonucleic acid, the material that contains the information that determines inherited characteristics |
| DNA polymerase | enzyme involved in DNA replication that joins individual nucleotides to produce a DNA molecule |
| DNA replication | process of copying the DNA molecule |
| Duplication | change to a chromosome in which part of the chromosome is repeated |
| Exons | expressed sequences of DNA; codes for a protein |
| Frameshift mutation | mutation that shifts the "reading" frame of the genetic message by inserting or deleting a nucleotide |
| Nucleosome | bead-like structure in eukaryotic chromatin, composed of a short length of DNA wrapped around a core of histone proteins |
| Gene expression | conversion of the information encoded in a gene first into messenger RNA and then to a protein |
| Gene mutation | A change in the sequence of the bases in a gene, which changes the structure of the polypeptide that the gene codes for. |
| Gene regulation | ability of an organism to control which genes are transcribed in response to the environment |
| Genes | sequences of DNA that codes for a protein and thus determines a trait |
| Genetic code | the ordering of nucleotides in DNA molecules that carries the genetic information in living cells |
| Histone | protein molecule around which DNA is tightly coiled in chromatin |
| Insertion | A mutation involving the addition of one or more nucleotide pairs to a gene. |
| Introns | sequences of DNA that are not involved in coding for a protein |
| Inversion | mutation in which the order of the genes in a section of a chromosome is reversed |
| messenger RNA (mRNA) | RNA molecule that carries copies of instructions for the assembly of amino acids into proteins from DNA to the rest of the cell |
| Nitrogenous base | single or double ring of carbon and nitrogen atoms with attached functional groups, found in nucleic acids |
| Nucleotide | monomer of nucleic acids made up of a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base |
| Origin of replication | site where the replication of a DNA molecule begins, consisting of a specific sequence of nucleotides |
| Point mutation | gene mutation involving changes in one or a few nucleotides |
| Polypeptide | a polymer chain of many amino acids linked together by peptide bonds |
| Polyploidy | condition in which an organism has extra sets of chromosomes |
| Promoters | region of DNA that indicates to an enzyme where to bind to make RNA |
| Reading frame | the way a cell's mRNA-translating machinery groups the mRNA nucleotides into codons |
| Replication fork | the points at which the DNA strands separate during replication |
| ribosomal RNA (rRNA) | type of RNA that makes up the major part of ribosomes |
| Ribosome | small particle in the cell on which proteins are assembled; made of RNA and protein |
| RNA | single-stranded nucleic acid that contains the sugar ribose |
| RNA editing | cutting out parts not needed that were transcribed from DNA |
| RNA polymerase | enzyme similar to DNA polymerase that binds to DNA and separates the DNA strands during transcription |
| Start codon | specific codon (AUG) that signals to the ribosome that the translation starts at that point |
| Stop codon | specific codons that signal the end of translation to a ribosome |
| Substitution | a mutation in which a nucleotide or a codon in DNA is replaced with a different nucleotide |
| Transcription | process in which part of the nucleotide sequence of DNA is copied int a complementary sequence in RNA |
| transfer RNA (tRNA) | type of RNA molecule that transfers amino acids to ribosomes during protein synthesis |
| Transformation | process in which one strain of bacteria is changed by a gene or genes from another strain of bacteria |
| Translation | decoding of a mRNA message into a polypeptide chain |
| Translocation | change to a chromosome in which a fragment of one chromosome attaches to a nonhomologous chromosome |
| X ray diffraction | process used by Rosalind Franklin to make images of DNA that helped reveal the structure of DNA |
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