Terms for Protein Synthesis and Mutations

Central Dogma of Biology

the idea that information in a cell moves from DNA to RNA to protein

Protein Synthesis

process of making proteins by stringing together amino acids to form polypeptide chains

Transcription

the process of making a strand of mRNA from DNA

Translation

the process where the message on the RNA is converted into a protein

RNA polymerase

"unzips" a small section of the DNA molecule known as a gene during transcription

parent strand

the one side of the DNA that is copied into mRNA

Proteins

made of long chains of amino acids called polypeptides

Polypeptides

long chains of amino acids assembled during translation

Amino acid

the monomer of proteins

RNA

The nucleic acid that is used in all steps of protein synthesis in all living cells (Ribonucleic Acid)

Messenger RNA (mRNA)

copy instructions from DNA inside of nucleus and takes them to the ribosomes

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA)

located in the ribosome, helps with protein synthesis (production)

Transfer RNA (tRNA)

transfers amino acids to the ribosome as specified by the mRNA to create the proteins

Ribose

the 5-carbon sugar of RNA

Codon

3 nitrogenous base sequence on mRNA

Anticodon

3 nitrogen base sequence on tRNA

Triplet

3 nitrogen base sequences on DNA

Nucleotide

the monomer of a nucleic acid

ribosome

the organelle where translation (step 2 of protein synthesis) takes place

Endoplasmic reticulum

organelle where final processing of the protein occurs

Golgi apparatus

sorts, packages, and ships proteins

Genes

a sequence of DNA (nucleotides) that code for one protein

Mutation

mistakes or changes in the DNA during DNA replication or cell division that are heritable

Gene Mutation

involve changes in individual genes

Point mutation

changes in one or a few nucleotides either by substitutions, insertions or deletions; results vary

Substitution (mutation)

A type of point mutation that inserts the wrong nucleotide in place of another; usually only affects one amino acid - (little if any effect on protein)

Frameshift (mutation)

A type of point mutation that changes the entire sequence when an insertion or deletion occurs

Insertion (mutation)

a type of point mutation-one or a few nucleotides are added

Deletion (point mutation)

A type of point mutation and frameshift mutation that occurs when a nucleotide is lost or deleted

Silent mutation

a mutation which does not change the intended outcome of the protein (the correct amino acid is still coded for even with the mutation)

Missense mutation

point mutation that occurs when a single substitution results in one amino acid being changed, results vary

Nonsense mutation

point mutation that creates a stop codon early in the mRNA strand, results in an incomplete protein (probably can't function)

Chromosomal mutation

involve changes in the number or structure of the chromosome - often cause severe effects

Duplication (mutation)

extra copies of part of chromosome are created

Deletion (mutation)

loss of all or part of chromosome

Translocation (mutation)

part of chromosome breaks off and attaches to another

Inversion (mutation)

reverses the direction of part of a chromosome