 | Term | Definition |
| |
dna |
deoxyribonucleic acid; the unique genetic code for every living thing. |
| |
Watson and Crick |
Scientists who proposed the double helix structure of DNA |
| |
adenine |
The base that pairs with Thymine in DNA |
| |
thymine |
The base that pairs Adenine in DNA |
| |
cytosine |
The base that pairs with Guanine with DNA |
| |
guanine |
The base that pairs with Cytosine in DNA |
| |
Thomas Morgan |
Documented sex-linked traits in fruit flies |
| |
replication |
The process by which a cell makes a copy of the DNA in its nucleus |
| |
Deoxyribose |
A five-carbon sugar found in DNA. |
| |
Phosphate group |
alternates with deoxyribose to make up the sides of DNA |
| |
Griffith |
used mice to discover that genetic material had a transforming factor, |
| |
Hershey and Chase |
Identified DNA to be genetic material through experiments with bacteriophages |
| |
Initiation |
DNA replication is initiated when helicase enzyme breaks the hydrogen bonds holding the base pairs together and the DNA uncoils. |
| |
Elongation |
Addition of nucleotides on uncoiled DNA through polymerase. |
| |
Ligase |
The enzyme that joins DNA fragments together |
| |
RNA |
Ribonucleic acid; a nucleic acid that plays an important role in the production of proteins |
| |
Protein synthesis |
The assembly of chains of amino acids into functional protein molecules |
| |
Uracil |
a nitrogen-containing base found in RNA (but not in DNA) |
| |
mRNA |
Messenger RNA; the RNA molecule that serves as the template for protein synthesis. |
| |
tRNA |
Transfer RNA; the type of RNA that carries an amino acid from the cytoplasm to the ribosome for incorporation into a growing protein. |
| |
rRNA |
Ribosomal RNA; the type of RNA that associates with ribosomal proteins to make a functional ribosome. |
| |
Transcription |
A process in which DNA is used as a template to make complementary messenger RNA. |
| |
Translation |
The assembly of a protein on a ribosome, using mRNA to direct the order in wich amino acids are added to the protein being made. |
| |
AUG |
Start codon for protein synthesis. |
| |
ribosome |
A cell organelle which functions as the site of protein synthesis in the cytoplasm; consists of rRNA and protein molecules, which make up two subunits. |
| |
exons |
coding regions; parts of a gene that are expressed as amino acids |
| |
introns |
sequences of nucleotides not involved in coding for proteins |
| |
oncogenes |
genes that cause cancer by blocking the normal controls on cell reproduction |
| |
structural genes |
a DNA sequence that codes for a specific product |
| |
repressor protein |
a regulatory protein that binds to an operator and blocks transcription of the genes of an operon |
| |
operator gene |
controls the activity of the structured genes (switches on/off to control transcription) |
| |
mutations |
change in the nucleotide sequence of DNA |
| |
Substitution Mutation |
A single nucleotide is replaced by a different nucleotide |
| |
missense mutation |
a type of point mutation that results in an alternate incorrect amino acid to be coded; produces a disfunctional protein |
| |
nonsense mutation |
a mutation that changes an amino acid codon to one of the 3 stop codons, resulting in a shorter and usually nonfunctional protein |
| |
silent mutation |
a type of point mutation in which no harmful effect is produced |
