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DNA
Deoxyribonucleic Acid; the genetic material that carries the information necessary for the growth and reproduction of all living organisms.
RNA
Ribonucleic Acid; a nucleic acid that plays a role in protein synthesis and carries genetic instructions from DNA.
Genetic Engineering
The manipulation of an organism's genes using biotechnology; involves transferring genes from one organism to another.
Avery-McCarty-McLeod Experiment
A series of experiments conducted in the 1940s that demonstrated that DNA is the transforming factor that carries genetic information.
Hershey-Chase Experiment
A definitive experiment that showed DNA is the hereditary material by using bacteriophages and isotopes to trace DNA and protein.
Watson and Crick
Scientists credited with discovering the double helix structure of DNA, using information from other researchers like Rosalind Franklin.
Chargaff's Rule
The principle stating that in DNA, the amount of adenine (A) equals the amount of thymine (T), and the amount of guanine (G) equals the amount of cytosine (C).
Chromosome
A structure made of DNA and proteins that contains genetic information; organized into a specific shape in eukaryotic cells.
Eukaryotic Cells
Cells that have a nucleus and organelles; DNA is organized into linear chromosomes.
Prokaryotic Cells
Single-celled organisms that lack a nucleus; DNA is found in a loop and is not organized into chromosomes like in eukaryotes.
Plasmids
Small circular DNA molecules within prokaryotic cells that carry extra genetic information and can be exchanged between bacteria.
Central Dogma
The framework describing the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein.
Bacillus thuringiensis
A bacterium used in genetic engineering to create crops resistant to certain pests.
X-ray Crystallography
A technique used to determine the atomic structure of crystals, applied by Wilkins and Franklin to study DNA.
