Term
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Definition
| the study of heredity at the molecular level |
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Term
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Definition
| viruses that exclusively infect bacteria |
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Term
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Definition
| short for bacteriophages (virus that infects bacteria) |
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Term
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Definition
| a building block of nucleic acids, consisting of a five-carbon sugar covalently bonded to a nitrogenous base and one or more phosphate groups |
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Term
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Definition
| a nucleotide polymer chain |
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Term
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Definition
| a repeating patterns of sugar-phosphate-sugar-phosphate (the nitrogenous bases are arranged like ribs that project from a backbone) |
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Term
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Definition
| A double-stranded helical nucleic acid molecule consisting of nucleotide monomers with deoxyribose sugar and the nitrogenous bases adenin (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T). Capable of replicating, DNA is an organism's genetic material |
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Term
Thymine
Cytosine
&
Adenine
Guanine |
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Definition
T & C - single ring structures called pyrimidines
A & G - larger, double-ring structures called purines |
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Term
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Definition
| RNA's nitrogenous base (replaces the thymine from DNA) |
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Term
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Definition
| helix made up of two polynucleiotide strands |
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Term
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Definition
| type of DNA replication in which the replicated double helix consists of one old strand, derived from the old molecule, and one newly made strand |
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Term
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Definition
| a large molecular complex that assmbles DNA nucleotides into polynucleotides using a preexisting strand of DNA as a template |
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Term
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Definition
| an enzyme, essential for DNA replication, that catalyzes the covalent bonding of adjacent DNA polynucleotide strands; used in genetic engineering to paste a specific piece of DNA containing a gene of interest into a bacterial plasmid or other vector |
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Term
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Definition
| the synthesis of RNA under the direction of DNA |
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Term
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Definition
| the synthesis of protein under the direction of RNA |
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Term
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Definition
| a set of 3-nucleotide-long "words" that specify the amin acids for polypeptide chains |
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Term
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Definition
| A 3 nucleotide sequence in mRNA that specifies a particuar amino acid or polypeptide termination signal; the basic unit of the genetic code |
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Term
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Definition
| set of rules that relate codons in RNA to amino acids in proteins |
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Term
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Definition
| a large molecular complex that links together the growing chain of RNA nucleotides during transcription, using a DNA strand as a template |
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Term
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Definition
| a specific binding site for RNA polymerase and determines which of the 2 strands of the DNA double helix is used as the template in transcription |
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Term
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Definition
| sequence of bases in the DNA template; signals the end of the gene; at that point, the polymerase molecule detaches from the RNA molecule and the gene |
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Term
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Definition
| RNA that encodes amino acid sequences; conveys genetic messages from DNA to the translation machinery of the cell |
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Term
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Definition
| internal non-coding regions in plants and animals; "intervening sequences" |
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Term
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Definition
| coding regions; parts of the gene that are expressed |
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Term
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Definition
| ribonucleic acid that functions as an interpreter in translation; each has a specific anticodon, picks up a specific amino acid, and conveys the amino acid to the appropriate codon on mRNA |
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Term
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Definition
| cutting and pasting process |
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Term
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Definition
| On a tRNA molecule, a specific sequence of 3 nucleotides that is complementary to a codon triplet of mRNA |
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Term
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Definition
| structures in the cytoplasm that position mRNA and tRNA close together and catalyze the synthesis of polypeptides |
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Term
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Definition
| type of ribonucleic acid that, together with proteins, makes up ribosomes; the most abundant type of RNA in most cells |
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Term
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Definition
| On mRNA, the specific 3-nucleotide sequence (AUG) to which an initiator tRNA, molecule binds, starting translation of genetic information |
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Term
| P site (P stands for peptidyl tRNA) |
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Definition
| 1 of 2 ribosomes binding sites for tRNA during translation; holds the tRNA carrying the growing polypeptide chain |
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Term
| A site (A stands for aminoacyl tRNA) |
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Definition
| 1 of 2 ribosomes binding sites for tRNA during translation; holds the tRNA that carries the next amino acid in the polypeptide chain |
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Term
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Definition
| the anticodon of an incoming tRNA molecule, carrying its amino acid, pairs with the mRNA codon in the A site of the ribosome |
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Term
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Definition
| the polypeptide separates from the tRNA in the P site and attaches by a new peptide bond to the amino acid carried by the tRNA in the A site; the ribosome catalyzes formation of the peptide bond, adding one more amino acid to the growing polypeptide chain |
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Term
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Definition
| 1) During protein synthesis, the movement of a tRNA molecule carrying a growing polypeptide chain from the A site to the P site on a ribosome (mRNA travels with it) 2) A change in a chromosome resulting from a chromosomal fragment attaching to a nonhomologous chromosome; can occur as a result of an error in meiosis or from mutagenesis |
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Term
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Definition
| (UAA, UAG, UGA) do not code for amino acids but instead act as signals to stop translation |
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Term
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Definition
| any change in the nucleotide sequence of DNA |
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Term
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Definition
| mutation in a gene that changes a codon to one that encodes for the same amino acids as the original codon; the amino acid sequence of the resulting polypeptide is thus unchanged |
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Term
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Definition
| change in the nucleotide sequence of a gene that alters the amino acid sequence of the resulting polypeptide; a codon is changed from encoding one amino acid to encoding a different amino acid |
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Term
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Definition
| change an amino acid codon into a stop codon |
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Term
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Definition
| the way a cell's mRNA-translating machinery groups the mRNA nucleotides into codons |
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Term
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Definition
| the creation of a change in the nucleotide sequence of an organism's DNA |
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Term
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Definition
| a chemical or physical agent that interacts with DNA and causes a mutation |
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Term
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Definition
| microscopic particle capable of infecting cells of living organisms and inserting its genetic material; generally not considered to be alive because they do not display all of the characteristics associated with life |
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Term
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Definition
| the protein shell that encloses a viral genome |
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Term
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Definition
| type of viral replication cycle resulting in the release of new viruses by lysis (breaking open) of the host cell |
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Term
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Definition
| type of bacteriophage replication cucle in which the viral genome is incorporated into the bacterial host chromosome as a prophage; new phages are not produced, and the host cell is not killed or lysed unless the viral genome leaves the host chromosome |
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Term
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Definition
| phage DNA that has inserted by genetic recombination into the DNA of a bacterial chromosome |
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Term
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Definition
| acquired immunodeficiency syndrome |
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Term
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Definition
| human immunodeficiency virus; RNA virus |
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Term
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Definition
| enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of DNA on an RNA template; characterizes "retrovirus) |
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Term
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Definition
| reproduces by means of a DNA molecule; RNA > DNA; inserts DNA into a cellular chromosome, then transcribes more copies of the RNA from the viral DNA |
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Term
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Definition
| small circular RNA molecules that infect plants |
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Term
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Definition
| cause a number of degenerative brain diseases in various animal species |
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Term
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Definition
| incorporation of new genes into a cell from DNA that the cell takes up from the surrounding environment |
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Term
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Definition
| transfer of bacterial genes from one bacterial cell to another by phage |
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Term
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Definition
| the union of two bacterial cells or protist cells and the transfer of DNA between 2 cells |
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Term
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Definition
| a piece of DNA that can exist as a bacterial plasmid; carries genes for making sex pili and ther structures needed for conjugation, as well as the site where DNA replication can start (F = fertility) |
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Term
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Definition
| small ring of independently replicating DNA separate from the main chromosomes; found in prokaryotes and yeasts |
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Term
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Definition
| bacterial plasmid that carries genes for enzymes that destroy particular antibiotics; thus making the bacterium resistant to the antibiotics |
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