| Term | Definition |
|---|
| gene | a section of DNA on a chromosome that contains the genetic code of a protein |
| nitrogenous base | an important component of nucleic acids, composed of one or two nitrogen-containing rings; forms the critical hydrogen bonds between opposing strands of a double helix |
| base pair | two nitrogenous bases that are connected by a hydrogen bond |
| phosphodiester bond | a bond that is responsible for the polymerization of nucleic acids by linking sugars and phosphates of adjacent nucleotides |
| hydrogen bond | a type of weak bond that involves the sandwiching of a hydrogen atom between two fluorine, nitrogen, or oxygen atoms |
| pyrimidine | a nitrogenous base composed of a single carbon ring; a component of DNA nucleotides |
| purine | a nitrogenous base composed of a double carbon ring; a component of DNA nucleotides |
| transformed | refers to those cells that have taken up foreign DNA and started expressing the genes on the newly acquired DNA |
| vector | a piece of DNA that carries one or more genes into a cell, usually circular |
| operon | a section of prokaryotic DNA consisting of one or more genes and their controlling elements |
| RNA polymerase | an enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of complementary RNA strands from a given DNA strand |
| promoter | the region at the beginning of a gene where RNA polymerase binds |
| operator | a region on an operon that can either turn on or off expression of a set of genes depending on the binding of the regulatory molecule |
| beta-galactosidase | an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of lactose into monosaccharides |
| broth | liquid media used for growing cells |
| agar | solid media used for growing bacteria, fungi, plant, or other cells |
| media preparation | the process of combining and sterilizing ingredients of a particular medium |
| autoclave | an instrument that creates high temperature and high pressure to sterilize equipment and media |
| enhancer | a section of DNA that increases the expression of a gene |
| intron | the region on a gene that is transcribed into an mRNA molecule but not expressed in a protein |
| exon | the region of a gene that directly codes for a protein; it is the region of the gene that is expressed |
| transcription factors | molecules that work to either turn on or off the transcription eukaryotic genes |
| histones | nuclear proteins that bind to chromosomal DNA and condense it into highly packed coils. |
| nonpathogenic | not known to cause disease |
| bacteriophages | viruses that infect bacteria |
| gene therapy | the process of treating a disease or disorder by replacing a dysfunctional gene with a functional one |
| bioremediation | the use of bacteria or other organisms to restore environmental conditions |
| site-specific mutagenesis | a technique involving changes in sections of genetic code |
| gel electrophoresis | a process that uses electricity to separate charged molecules on a gel slab |
| agarose | a carbohydrate from seaweed that is widely used as a medium for horizontal gel electrophoresis |
| polyacrylamide | a polymer used as a gel material in vertical electrophoresis; used to separate smaller molecules |
| ethidium bromide | a DNA stain that glows orange when mixed with DNA and exposed to UV light |
| methylene blue | a starting dye that interacts with nucleic acid molecules and proteins, turning them a dark blue color |
| high through-put screening | the process of examining hundreds of thousands of samples for a particular activity |
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