Genomics and Bioinformatics Lecture 1

Flashcards covering key vocabulary from the Genomics and Bioinformatics lecture notes, including course information, core concepts of genomics and bioinformatics, molecular biology fundamentals, and practical NCBI resource usage.

Biological Data Growth

The explosive increase in nucleotide sequence and protein data observed from 1992 to 2017, driving the need for bioinformatics.

Bioinformatics Industry Demand

High demand across sectors like Pharmaceutical & Biotech, Healthcare & Clinical Genomics, Agriculture & Environmental Sciences, and AI & Data Science Integration.

Bioinformatics Scientists Salary

Typically ranges from $90K to $150K+, depending on experience and industry.

Genome

The complete DNA blueprint of an organism, providing all the instructions to develop and function.

Genomics

An interdisciplinary field of molecular biology focused on studying all the DNA of an organism, including its structure, function, evolution, mapping, and editing.

Chromosomes

Threadlike structures made of protein and a single DNA molecule, varying in number and shape among living organisms.

Mitochondria

Cellular organelles located in the cytoplasm that contain a circular chromosome and are the site of the cell’s energy production; inherited maternally.

Mitochondrial DNA

The circular chromosome found inside mitochondria.

Human Genome

Consists of 23 pairs of chromosomes in the cell's nucleus and a small chromosome in the mitochondria.

Platypus Genome

A curious genome known for having 5 pairs of sex chromosomes, totaling 10.

Genome Sequencing

Determining the exact sequence of nucleotides (building blocks of DNA) in a genome.

Functional Genomics

Investigating the roles and functions of genes and how they interact within the genome.

Epigenomics

Studying chemical modifications to DNA and histone proteins that do not change the DNA sequence but affect gene expression.

Comparative Genomics

Comparing the genomes of different species to understand evolutionary relationships, gene function, and the genetic basis of traits.

Genomic Medicine

Applying genomic information to improve medical care, including the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases.

Bioinformatics

An interdisciplinary field integrating biology, computer science, information technology, mathematics, statistics, and chemistry to analyze and manage biological data using computational tools.

Precision Medicine

Targeted medical treatments personalized based on an individual's genomic information.

Genomic Sequencing (COVID-19 application)

Used to track the evolution and spread of viruses like COVID-19.

Central Dogma of Molecular Biology

The fundamental principle describing the flow of genetic information: DNA makes RNA, and RNA makes protein.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)

The primary molecule of inheritance, a double-stranded polymer of nucleotides forming a double helix, containing the sugar deoxyribose.

Double Helix

The 3-dimensional structure of DNA, correctly elucidated by James Watson and Francis Crick in 1953.

Nucleotide (DNA)

The basic building block of DNA, composed of a nitrogen-containing base (C, T, A, G), a five-carbon sugar (deoxyribose), and a phosphate group.

Pyrimidine (DNA)

Nitrogen-containing bases with a single ring structure found in DNA: Cytosine (C) and Thymine (T).

Purine (DNA)

Nitrogen-containing bases with a double ring structure found in DNA: Adenine (A) and Guanine (G).

Deoxyribose

The five-carbon sugar component of a DNA nucleotide.

Gene

The basic unit of inheritance that encodes a functional product, typically a protein, and in eukaryotes contains both exons and introns.

Exons

Coding regions within a gene that are expressed and ultimately form part of the mature mRNA.

Introns

Non-coding regions within a gene that are removed during RNA processing before translation.

RNA (Ribonucleic Acid)

A single-stranded polymer of nucleotides containing the sugar ribose, made through transcription from DNA, with various types functioning in genetic information interpretation.

Nucleotide (RNA)

The basic building block of RNA, composed of a nitrogen-containing base (C, U, A, G), a five-carbon sugar (ribose), and a phosphate group.

Pyrimidine (RNA)

Nitrogen-containing bases found in RNA: Cytosine (C) and Uracil (U).

Ribose

The five-carbon sugar component of an RNA nucleotide.

mRNA

Messenger RNA, a type of RNA that carries genetic information from DNA to the ribosomes for protein synthesis.

tRNA

Transfer RNA, a type of RNA that helps decode mRNA sequences into protein by carrying specific amino acids.

rRNA

Ribosomal RNA, a type of RNA that is a primary component of ribosomes, which assemble proteins.

Protein

Large, complex molecules built from amino acids forming a polypeptide, whose sequence is determined by the DNA sequence, and whose structure determines its function.

Polypeptide

A chain of amino acids linked by peptide bonds, which folds into a functional protein.

Transcription

The process by which the genetic information from a DNA segment is copied into an RNA molecule.

Translation

The process by which information in a messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule is used to synthesize a protein.

Codon

A sequence of three nucleotides that together form a unit of genetic code in a DNA or RNA molecule and specifies an amino acid or a stop signal.

Start Codon

The specific codon (AUG) that signals the beginning of protein synthesis, coding for Methionine.

Stop Codon

Specific codons (UAA, UAG, UGA) that signal the termination of protein synthesis.

Transcriptomics

The study of RNA and transcripts to measure gene expression levels within a cell or organism.

Proteomics

The large-scale study of proteins, assessing their presence, abundance, modifications, and functions within a biological system.

NCBI Lab Objective

To learn how to retrieve and interpret gene sequences from NCBI databases.

Entrez Gene ID

A unique numerical identifier assigned to a gene in the NCBI's Gene database.

Genomic Location

The precise position of a gene or sequence on a chromosome, often specified by chromosome number and base pair coordinates.

Plus/Minus Strand

Indicates whether a gene is situated on the forward ('+') or reverse ('-') strand of the double-stranded DNA molecule.

Number of Exons

The count of coding segments within a gene that remain in the mature mRNA after splicing.

Number of Transcripts

The count of different RNA molecules (including alternatively spliced variants) produced from a single gene.