Cell Structures and Genetic Material

Vocabulary flashcards from lecture notes

Chromatin

Network visible as thread-like structures in the nucleus of an inactive cell

Nucleolus

Structure in the nucleus responsible for forming ribosomal RNA

Nucleoplasm

That part of the protoplasm within the nucleus

Cytoplasm

That part of the protoplasm outside the nucleus.

Ribosome

Structure that is the site of protein synthesis

Gene

Segment of a chromosome that controls each characteristic, a unit of sequenced pieces of DNA that carry the genetic information that will determine the hereditary characteristics of an organism.

Hereditary

Characteristics that are passed from parents to offspring

DNA

Nucleic acid that is a constituent of chromosomes

Helix

Coiled (natural) shape of a DNA molecule

RNA

Type of nucleic acid that occurs as a single strand; nucleic acid that contains uracil

Nucleotide

Building blocks of nucleic acids consisting of a sugar, a base and a phosphate

Replication

The formation of an exact copy of the DNA in a cell

Template

The original strand upon which a new strand is developed

Complementary strand

The new strand that is made based on the sequence of nucleotides on the template

Cytosine

The base that pairs off with guanine

Thymine

The base that pairs off with adenine

Uracil

The base found in RNA and not DNA

Hydrogen bonds

The chemical bonds which link base pairs in the DNA molecule

DNA

(Deoxyribonucleic acid) forms the chromosomes in the nuclei of all living cells and carries the hereditary information of the organism. The DNA molecule is a double helix (twisted) strand.

DNA Replication

Process involving the formation of two new identical DNA molecules from an original DNA.

Enzyme

A protein that speeds up a chemical reaction, a catalyst

Codon

The three adjacent bases found on a mRNA molecule

Anticodon

The three adjacent bases found on a tRNA molecule that will determine which amino acid will be brought to the ribosome

Transcription

The synthesis of mRNA from a DNA template

Translation

The process of converting the information carried by m-RNA to the correct sequence of amino acids to form a particular protein

RNA

(Ribose nucleic acid) a single strand, located in the nucleoplasm and cytoplasm. The RNA molecule is always a single strand of nucleotides. Remember that the RNA contains Uracil instead of Thymine (A, G, C and U). RNA is responsible for protein synthesis.

Synthesis

Building up of separate parts into a whole

Amino acid

The basic building block of a protein molecule

Peptide link

A link between two adjacent amino acids

Monomer

A single unit that makes up a larger molecule

Polymer

A large molecule which is formed from many small molecules (monomers)

Mutation

A sudden and relatively permanent gene / chromosomal change