Vocabulary List



1. DNA – Deoxyribonucleic Acid; carries the genetic code

2. Nucleotide – monomer of DNA or RNA composed of phosphoric acid, sugar (deoxyribose for DNA and ribose for RNA) and a nitrogen base (A,T,C,G for DNA and A,U,C,G for RNA).

3. Nitrogenous Bases – the parts of DNA and RNA that pair (A,T,C,G for DNA and A,U,C,G for RNA).

4. DNA Replication – the process of making another copy of the genetic code by a semi-conservative process. Occurs within the nucleus

5. DNA Polymerase – enzyme that links DNA nucleotides together during DNA replication using a DNA strand as a template. This enzyme also proofreads the new DNA strand and corrects any base pairing errors.

6. DNA Helicase – Helicases are enzymes that bind and may even remodel nucleic acid or nucleic acid protein complexes. There are DNA and RNA helicases. DNA helicases are essential during DNA replication because they separate double-stranded DNA into single strands allowing each strand to be copied.

7. Telomere – repetitive DNA at the end of a eukaryotic chromosome. This DNA is commonly lost during DNA replication but is replaced by the enzyme DNA Telomerase.

8. RNA – Ribonucleic Acid

9. mRNA – messenger RNA (Messenger Ribonucleic Acid); single stranded molecule that carries the genetic message from DNA within the nucleus to ribosomesoutside the nucleus

10. tRNA – transfer RNA (transfer Ribonucleic Acid); molecule the carries amino acids to ribosomes

11. rRNA – ribosomal RNA (Ribosomal Ribonucleic Acid); RNA that makes up ribosomes

12. Transcription – making mRNA from DNA; occurs within the nucleus

13. RNA Polymerase – enzyme that links RNA nucleotides together during transcription using a DNA strand as a template.

14. Promoter – specific region of a gene where RNA polymerase can bind and begin transcription

15. Translation/Protein Synthesis – reading the mRNA codons to make proteins; occurs on the ribosomes

16. Amino Acids – the monomers of proteins

17. Proteins – molecules that make up parts of cells and sometimes act as enzymes

18. Ribosomes – small organelles within cells where translation/protein synthesis takes place

19. Intron – a sequence of DNA that is not involved in coding for a protein (90% of DNA is composed of introns).

20. Exon – a sequence of DNA that is “expressed” and therefore codes for a protein (only 10% of DNA consists of exons).

21. Codon – a group of three nucleotide bases in mRNA that code for a specific amino acid

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22. Anitcodon – a group of three nucleotide bases on a tRNA molecule complimentary to the three nucleotide bases on a mRNA codon. Each anticodon carries a specific amino acid.

23. Polyploidy – condition in which an organism has an extra set of chromosomes.

24. operon: a group of closely linked genes that produces a single messenger RNA molecule in transcription and that consists of structural genes…

25. Okazaki fragments are short, newly synthesized DNA fragments that are formed on the lagging template strand during DNA replication.

26. Insertion An insertion changes the number of DNA bases in a gene by adding a piece of DNA. As a result, the protein made by the gene may not function properly.

27. Deletion A deletion changes the number of DNA bases by removing a piece of DNA. Small deletions may remove one or a few base pairs within a gene, while larger deletions can remove an entire gene or several neighboring genes.

28. Duplication A duplication consists of a piece of DNA that is abnormally copied one or more times. This type of mutation may alter the function of the resulting protein.

29. Frameshift mutation This type of mutation occurs when the addition or loss of DNA bases changes a gene's reading frame.

30. Gene Regulation of  includes a wide range of mechanisms that are used by cells to increase or decrease the production of specific gene products (protein or RNA),

31. Nucleosome: [pic] a structural unit of a chromosome, consisting of a length of DNA coiled around a core of histones

32. DNA replicates by semi-conservative replication, which means that one strand of the parent double helix is conserved in each new DNA molecule

33. Central Dogma: DNA Encodes RNA, RNA Encodes Protein.

34.  difference between prokaryotes and eukaryotes is that eukaryotes have a nucleus. They also have other membrane structures called organelles. Prokaryotes are much smaller.

35. Three major differences between DNA and RNA? Three of the nitrogenous bases are the same in the two types (adenine, cytosine, and guanine), but DNA contains thymine while RNA contains uracil. DNA is double stranded and RNA is single stranded. In DNA the pentose sugar is deoxyribose.Whereas in RNA the pentose sugar is ribose

36.

|Mutation |a change in the genetic material |

|Mutagen |a substance that causes a mutation |

|point mutation |change in one nucleotide |

|frameshift mutation |mutation that shifts the "reading" frame of the genetic message by insertion or deletion |

|chromosomal mutation |change in the number or structure of chromosomes |

|polyploidy |organism has an extra set of chromosomes |

|genes |coded DNA instructions that control the production of proteins within the cell |

|ribosomal RNA |RNA formed on ribosomes |

|messenger RNA |RNA that carries copies of the instructions to the rest of the cell |

|transfer RNA |RNA molecule that transfers each amino acid to the ribosome |

|replication |cell copies its DNA |

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|nucleotides |units that make up DNA, made of a phosphate, sugar, and nitrogen base |

|transcription |copying from DNA template to produce RNA molecule |

|RNA polymerase |enzyme that binds to DNA and separates the DNA strands |

|codon |three nucleotides that code for a single amino acid |

|anticodon |the three bases on tRNA that match the RNA codon |

|translation |decoding a mRNA code into a polypeptide chain |

|polypeptide |chains of amino acids |

|synthesis |to produce or make something |

|helix |a curved spiral |

|ribosome |cell organelle where proteins are synthesized |

|bacteriophage |virus that infects bacteria |

|differentiation |cells become specialized in structure and function |

|double helix |structure of DNA |

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