DNA Damage & Mutagens Study Guide

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from the study guide on DNA Damage & Mutagens, helping students prepare for their exam.

DNA damage

Can be repaired, looks weird to the cell.

DNA mutation

Permanent change in the DNA that cannot be repaired, appears normal to the cell.

Base analogs

Chemicals that imitate DNA bases (A, T, C, or G) like counterfeit puzzle pieces.

Alkylating agents

Chemicals that add small carbon chains to DNA bases, altering their pairing.

Intercalating agents

Flat chemicals that distort the DNA helix by wedging between bases.

Thymine dimers

Covalent bonds formed between adjacent thymine bases due to UV light.

Ionizing radiation

High energy radiation that breaks DNA strands, leading to chromosome damage.

Insertional mutagenesis

Process where viruses insert their DNA into the host genome, causing mutations.

Ames test

A test for mutagens using bacteria that cannot make histidine; growth indicates mutation.

Direct repair

Repair mechanism that fixes specific types of DNA damage without excision.

Base excision repair (BER)

Mechanism to fix single-base problems like deamination and depurination.

Nucleotide excision repair (NER)

Mechanism to repair bulky DNA lesions, cutting out sections of DNA.

Mismatch repair (MMR)

Fixes incorrectly paired bases during replication using methylation patterns.

Homologous recombination

Repair process for double-strand breaks using a homologous chromosome as a template.