Nucleic Acids and Inheritance Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the Nucleic Acids and Inheritance lecture.

DNA Structure

A double-helical model for the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid.

DNA

The genetic endowment contained in chromosomes and mitochondria.

Nucleic Acids

The ability to direct their own replication.

Transformation

A change in genotype and phenotype due to the assimilation of external DNA by a cell.

Bacteriophages (Phages)

Viruses that infect bacteria.

E. coli

A common intestinal bacterium of mammals attacked by the T2 phage.

DNA (Transforming Substance)

The transforming substance identified by Avery, McCarty, and MacLeod.

Chargaff’s Rules

Rules based on a survey of DNA composition in organisms.

DNA

A polymer of nucleotides consisting of a nitrogenous base, deoxyribose, and a phosphate group.

Adenine (A)

A nitrogenous base found in DNA. Paired with thymine

Thymine (T)

A nitrogenous base found in DNA. Paired with adenine

Guanine (G)

A nitrogenous base found in DNA. Paired with cytosine

Cytosine (C)

A nitrogenous base found in DNA. Paired with guanine

X-ray Crystallography

A technique used to study the structure of DNA by diffracting X-rays through aligned fibers of purified DNA.

Double Helix

The three-dimensional shape of DNA.

Antiparallel

The arrangement of sugar-phosphate backbones in the DNA double helix.

Adenine with Thymine, Guanine with Cytosine

Nitrogenous base pairing in DNA.

Purine

A nitrogenous base with two rings.

Pyrimidine

A nitrogenous base with one ring.

Two Hydrogen Bonds

The number of hydrogen bonds between adenine and thymine.

Three Hydrogen Bonds

The number of hydrogen bonds between guanine and cytosine.

Antiparallel Strands

The two strands of DNA in the double helix are oriented in opposite directions to each other .

3' End

The end of a DNA strand with a free hydroxyl group attached to deoxyribose.

5' End

The end of a DNA strand with a free phosphate group attached to deoxyribose.

Frederick Griffith

The scientist who studied Streptococcus pneumoniae and discovered transformation.

Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase

The scientist that demonstrated that DNA is the genetic material of phage T2.

Watson and Crick

The scientists who discovered the double helix structure of DNA.

2-nm

The measurement of diameter indicated by X-ray data.

Erwin Chargaff

Scientist that found regularity ratios in nucleotide bases, known as Chargaff's rules.

Rosalind Franklin

The person who concluded that sugar-phosphate backbones are on the outside of the double helix.