Download KEY TERMS

KEY TERMS
Arabidopsis thalianaPRXVHHDUFUHVV²DVHOISROOLnating plant species that serves as a model organism for
the study of genetics and development by plant molecular biologists.
Biotechnology ²DQ\SURFHVVWKDWXVHVFHOOVRUJDQelles, macromolecules, biochemicals, or biochemical
pathways to create a product. Fermentation is an ancient biotechnology; gene therapy is a more recent one.
Clones ²JHQHWLFDOO\LGHQWLFDOFHOOVRURUJDQLVPVWKDW
are derived from the same parent cell/organism through
cell division.
Coding region ²WKHUHJLRQRIDJHQHWKDWLVDFWLYHO\
transcribed into mRNA.
Development ²WKHFRRUGLQDWLRQRIWKHIDWHVRILQGLvidual cells arising from stem cells within an embryo.
The cells arising from stem cells are genetically identiFDOFORQHVDQG\HWWKH\DVVXPHWKHIDWHRIVSHFL¿FFHOO
types as the organism develops.
Differential gene expression ²WKHXVHRIGLVWLQFW
information in a gene to produce certain sets of proteins
VSHFL¿FWRWKHFHOO¶VUROHLQWKHRUJDQLVP$FHOOZLOO
not express all of its genes and therefore not all of the
proteins that it has the potential to make. The proteins
it does produce determine the structure and function of
the cell.
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)²WKHRUJDQLFPROHFXOH
that directs a cell’s activities and serves as the carrier of
genetic information from one generation to the next.
Enzyme ²DSURWHLQWKDWDFWVDVDELRORJLFDOFDWDO\VW
thereby speeding up chemical reactions.
Eukaryotic ²SHUWDLQLQJWRDFHOOWKDWFRQWDLQVPHPbrane bound organelles, including a nucleus that houses
the cell’s DNA.
Gene ²DVHTXHQFHRI'1$WKDWFRGHVIRUDSDUWLFXODU
protein.
Gene expression ²WKHIXOOXVHRILQIRUPDWLRQLQD
gene that occurs when a gene is transcribed into mRNA
and translated into a protein.
Gene regulation ²DFHOO¶VDELOLW\WRFRQWUROZKHQDQG
to what extent a gene is transcribed into mRNA and
translated into protein.
Genetically engineered (transgenic) organism ²D
single-celled or multicellular organism that contains
recombinant DNA.
Genome ²DOORIWKHJHQHVSUHVHQWZLWKLQDFHOO7KH
human genome is estimated to contain approximately
20,000 genes.
*86ȕJOXFXURQLGDVH²DQHQ]\PHGHULYHGIURP
bacteria whose expression can be observed by the
conversion of a colorless, chromogenic substrate into
a blue-colored product. The gene encoding for GUS is
commonly used as a reporter gene in recombinant DNA
technology applications.
Human Genome Project ²D\HDUHIIRUWFRRUdinated by the U.S. Department of Energy and the
National Institutes of Health, to identify all genes in
human DNA and accomplish related projects. Scientists
mapped
DSSUR[LPDWHO\JHQHVDQG¿QLVKHGLQ
Model organisms ²RUJDQLVPVWKDWKHOSVFLHQWLVWVEHWter understand biological processes. Examples of model
organisms include invertebrates such as Drosophila
IUXLWÀ\Caenorhabditis elegans (roundworm), and
YHUWHEUDWHVVXFKDV]HEUD¿VKIURJVDQGPLFH$UDbidopsis (a plant) and yeast (a fungus) are also model
organisms.
mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) ²DQRUJDQLF
molecule assembled during transcription by RNA polymerase that synthesizes an RNA copy of the gene.
Multicellular ²FRQWDLQLQJWZRRUPRUHFHOOVDOOPXOticellular organisms contain eukaryotic cells.
Nucleus ²WKHGRXEOHPHPEUDQHERXQGRUJDQHOOHWKDW
houses a cell’s DNA; found within eukaryotic cells.
Plasmid ²DFLUFXODUSLHFHRI'1$QDWXUDOO\IRXQGLQ
bacterial cells that is capable of self-replication and typically contains one or more antibiotic resistance genes.
Plasmids can be manipulated by restriction enzymes in
order to incorporate foreign DNA fragments, thereby
generating recombinant DNA molecules.
Promoter ²DUHJLRQRI'1$ORFDWHGLQIURQWXSVWUHDPRIWKHFRGLQJUHJLRQWKDWKDVDVSHFL¿FQXFOHRtide sequence to which RNA polymerase recognizes
and binds prior to transcription.
© DESTINY - UNC-CHAPEL HILL - CB# 3280 - Chapel Hill, NC 27599-(919) 843-9036 - www.destiny.unc.edu
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Protein ²DQRUJDQLFPROHFXOHV\QWKHVL]HGE\FHOOV
that consists of one or more polypeptide chains (polymers of amino acids).
Proteome ²WKHFRPSOHWHFROOHFWLRQRISURWHLQVSURduced by a cell/organism at a given time.
Recombinant DNA ²'1$JHQHUDWHGLQWKHODERUDtory that contains genetic information from more than
one species.
Reporter Gene ²DJHQHWKDWHQFRGHVIRUDQHQ]\PH
whose activity can be visualized and therefore easily
monitored within a transgenic organism. In this activity
WKHUHSRUWHUJHQHHQFRGHVIRUWKHHQ]\PHȕJOXFXURQLdase (GUS).
Restriction enzymes (restriction endonucleases)
²HQ]\PHVWKDWDFWDV³PROHFXODUVFLVVRUV´WRFXW'1$
DWVSHFL¿FQXFOHRWLGHVHTXHQFHV5HVWULFWLRQHQ]\PHV
are useful in generating recombinant DNA molecules.
RNA polymerase ²WKHHQ]\PHWKDWDFWVGXULQJWUDQscription to synthesize an RNA strand with a nucleotide
sequence complementary to the template DNA strand
being transcribed.
Signal ²DFKHPLFDOPHVVDJHQHXURWUDQVPLWWHURUD
hormone) or an external stimulus (light, gravity, etc.)
perceived by cells that induces a change in function or
behavior, usually through changes in gene expression.
Stem cell ²DQXQGLIIHUHQWLDWHGFHOOWKDWLVFDSDEOH
of cell division and can give rise to any cell type in an
adult organism.
Transcription ²WKHV\QWKHVLVRIDQP51$VWUDQG
complementary to the coding region of a gene.
Transcription factors ²SURWHLQVWKDWKHOSWRUHJXODWH
transcription by facilitating the binding of RNA polymerase to the promoter region of a gene.
Transgenic organism ²VHHGenetically engineered
organism.
Translation ²P51$GLUHFWVWKHDVVHPEO\RIDSRO\peptide on a ribosome in the cytoplasm of a cell.
Vector ²LQJHQHWLFHQJLQHHULQJDSODVPLGRUYLUXV
that carries recombinant DNA into the organism of
study.
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