Central concepts

Biodiversity

The variety of life in the world, including the different species of plants, animals, and microorganisms. It is essential for ecosystem health and resilience.

Evolution

Biological, the process whereby populations of organisms accrue gradual genetic changes over generations that lead to differences between them

DNA location

In the nucleus, also in the cytoplasm and other areas of cell

Chromosomes

Organisation of DNA into structures that carry genetic information, found in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells.

Human Karyotype

A complete set of chromosomes typically consists of 46 chromosomes arranged in 23 pairs, including 22 pairs of autosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes. Diploid.

DNA composition

Chain of sugar-phosphate backbone and DNA nucleotides that include adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine.

DNA Nucleotides

Phosphate group, sugar and nitrogenous base

DNA strand

Phosphate bonds and hydrogen bonds form a double helix of anti-parallel strands

3’ end

-OH group

5’ end

-P group

Genome

The complete genetic constitution if an individual (3,000,000,000 base pairs in humans, of which 1% codes for proteins)

Locus

A physical position on a chromosome. Refers to a segment of DNA that may be a gene, or simply defined as a point or region of interest - can be single nucleotide

Allele

An alternative genetic form at a locus

Genotype

The genetic composition of an individual at a locus

Homozygote

An individual with the same allele at a locus (i.e. the alleles are the same on two homologous chromosomes)

Heterozygote

An individual with two different alleles at a locus (i.e. the allele is different on the two homologous chromosomes)

Heterozygosity

A measure of the number of individuals within a population who are heterozygotes at a single locus, OR the number if heterozygote genotypes across multiple loci within an individual

Central Dogma

The process by which genetic information flows from DNA to RNA and gets translated into proteins

Transcription

The process of copying a segment of DNA into RNA using RNA polymerase

Translation

The process by which the sequence of nucleotides in mRNA is decoded to produce a specific polypeptide or protein