Download Vocabulary From DNA to Proteins

From DNA to Protein Unit Vocabulary
Deoxyribonucleic acid - (DNA) a molecule composed of a deoxyribose sugar, a phosphorus
group and a nitrogen base. The molecule that contains the instructions for all of the cells
function.
Double helix –the structure of DNA, composed of two strands of DNA that are held together by
hydrogen bonds between complementary bases, shaped like a twisted ladder.
Nitrogen base – Type of molecule that forms an important part of nucleic acid, composed of a
nitrogen-containing ring structure. Hydrogen bonds between bases in opposing complementary
strands link the two strands of a DNA double helix.
Nucleotide –an individual sub unit that makes up DNA and RNA, made up of a Sugar, a
phosphate and a nitrogen base.
Base pairing - The bases of both DNA and RNA are almost always found as paired bases. In
DNA Adenine pairs with Thymine and Guanine pairs with Cytosine. The pairing is the same in
RNA except Uracil replaces Thymine
Deoxyribose –a 5 carbon sugar used in DNA
Adenine –Nitrogen base of DNA and RNA that hydrogen bonds to Thymine in DNA and Uracil
in RNA.
Thymine –Nitrogen Base of DNA that hydrogen bonds to Adenine
Guanine –Nitrogen Base of DNA and RNA that hydrogen bonds to Cytosine
Cytosine – Nitrogen Base of DNA and RNA that hydrogen bonds to Guanine
Replication –Process in which an identical copy of an existing DNA strand is duplicated.
Histone – a protein that DNA wraps around when coiling and condensing to form chromosomes.
DNA polymerase –Enzyme that bonds to DNA nucleotides together into a continuous strand
using the pre-existing DNA stand as a template.
Ribonucleic acid (RNA) –a molecule composed of ribose sugar, phosphate groups and Nitrogen
Bases. This molecule helps transfer the information from the DNA in the nucleus to the
ribosomes in the cytoplasm where it helps build proteins.
Ribose – a 5 carbon sugar that is used in RNA
Uracil –Nitrogen base of RNA that hydrogen bonds with Adenine. Replaces Thymine.
Transcription –the making of an RNA molecule from a DNA template
RNA polymerase – an Enzyme that catalyzes the bonding of free RNA nucleotides into a
continuous strand using RNA nucleotides that are complementary to the DNA strand being
transcribed.
Promoter – A section of a DNA molecule to which the enzyme RNA polymerase binds, initiating
the transcription of mRNA.
Codon – a sequence of three bases of mRNA the specifies or codes for a specific amino acid to be
incorporated into a protein. Certain codon signal the start and end of protein synthesis.
Messenger RNA (mRNA) Molecule that is complementary to a section of DNA known as a
gene, the mRNA molecule takes these instructions from the nucleus and brings them out to a
ribosome in the cytoplasm where the instructions are used to build a protein.
Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) –strands of RNA that make up part if the ribosomal subunits.
Transfer RNA -(tRNA) a type of RNA that binds to s specific amino acids and carries it to the
ribosome during translation. Each tRNA has a set of three bases know as the “anticodon”
complementary to the mRNA codon for that amino acid
Translation – the process where a strand of messenger RNA or mRNA is converted into a
sequence of amino acids to build a protein.
Protein –a bio molecule composed of one or more stand of Amino Acids
Mutation- A change of the DNA sequence within a gene or chromosome of an organism resulting
in the creation of a new character or trait not found in the parental type.
Point mutation - a mutation in which a single base pair in the DNA has been affected.
Frame shift mutation – a shift in the coding sequence of DNA or RNA resulting in a completely
different protein being produced.
Chromosome –a linear strand of DNA coiled around proteins and found in the nucleus of a
eukaryotic cell. In prokaryotic cells chromosomes are circular strands of DNA and do not have
proteins.