Bio-311 Genetics: Chapter 1 Terms

Genome

all of the chromosomes and DNA sequences that a cell, an organism, or a species can possess

Human Genome

Complete set of human chromosomes

Genetics

The study of heredity; the branch of biology that deals with heredity and variation

Gene

a unit of hereditary that may influence the outcome of a trait in an organism. At the molecular level, it is a segment of DNA that contains the information to make a functional product, either an RNA molecule or a polypeptide

Traits

Characteristics of an organism; also specific properties of a character ie height

Nucleic acids

RNA or DNA. A macromolecule that is composed of repeating nucleotide units

Proteins

A functional unit composed of one or more polypeptides

Carbohydrates

Organic molecules w/ general formula C_n(H₂O)_n. An ex is glucose

Lipids

A general name given to an organic molecule that is insoluble in water.

Macromolecules

A large organic molecule composed of smaller building block. Ex DNA, RNA, and large carbohydrates

Nucleotides

The repeating structural unit of nucleic acids, composed of a sugar, one to three phosphates, and a nitrogen-containing base. Small organic molecules that link together to form the building blocks of DNA

Organelle

A specialized structure w/in a cell that is surrounded by a single or double membrane or caused by liquid-liquid phase separation

Proteome

The collection of all the proteins that a given cell or organism makes

Enzymes

A protein that functions to accelerate chemical reactions w/in the cell

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

The genetic material. It is a double stranded structure, with each strand composed of repeating units

Polypeptide

A linear sequence of amino acids that is the product of mRNA translation. One or more fold and associate w/each other to form a functional protein.

Genetic code

The correspondence between a codon (i.e. a sequence of three bases in an mRNA molecule) and the functional role that the codon plays during translation. Each codon specifies a particular amino acid or the end of translation

Codon

A sequence of 3 nucleotides in mRNA that functions in translation

Amino acid

A building block of polypeptides and proteins. It contains an amino group, a carboxyl group, and a side chain.

Chromosomes

The structures w/in living cells that contain the genetic material. Biochemically, it is a very long segment of DNA, and where genes are physically located.

Karyotype

A photographic representation of all the chromosomes w/in a cell. It reveals how many chromosomes are found w/in an actively dividing somatic cell.

Gene expression

The process by which the information w/in a gene is accessed, first to synthesize RNA and polypeptides, and eventually to affect the properties of cells and the phenotype of multicellular organisms.

Transcription

The process of synthesizing RNA from a DNA template

Ribonucleic acid (RNA)

A nucleic acid that is composed of ribonucleotides. It is synthesized in living cells via the transcription of DNA

Protein-coding genes

Genes that carry the information to produce mRNA and that code the amino acid sequence of polypeptides

Messenger RNA (mRNA)

A type of RNA transcribed from a protein-coding gene, and contains the information for the synthesis of a polypeptide

Translation

The process in which the sequence of codons w/in mRNA provides the information to synthesize the sequence of amino acids that constitutes a polypeptide

Central dogma of genetics

The idea that the usual flow of genetic information is from DNA to RNA to polypeptide (protein). In addition, DNA replication serves to copy the genetic information so that it can be transmitted from cell to cell and from parent to offspring.