Download 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),
a structural unit of a
chromosome, consisting of a length of DNA coiled around a core of histones
31. Nucleosome:
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
Mutagen
a change in the genetic material
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
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