DNA Replication and Enzyme Kinetics Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering the mechanisms of DNA replication, the structure of nucleotides, and factors affecting enzyme-catalyzed reactions based on the lecture notes.

Catalyst

A substance that speeds up the rate of reaction without being changed or used up.

Semi-conservative replication

The process of DNA synthesis where the DNA molecule unwinds and each new DNA molecule contains one original strand and one new strand.

Hydrogen bonds

The type of bonds that hold complementary bases together during DNA replication.

Deoxyribose

The pentose sugar found in DNA that forms bonds with phosphate groups to create the DNA backbone.

DNA polymerase

The enzyme responsible for the formation of bonds between deoxyribose and phosphate during the replication process.

Meselson and Stahl

The scientists credited with the discovery and description of semi-conservative DNA replication.

Substrate concentration

A factor that is not limiting at the start of a reaction but becomes a limiting factor as it decreases over time.

$pH$ control

The maintenance of a constant acidity level to prevent changes in enzyme active site shape and the disruption of ionic bonds, such as when fatty acids are used in a reaction.

Ionic bonds

Bonds within an enzyme that can be changed by fluctuations in $pH$, resulting in a modified active site and a changed rate of reaction.

Phosphate

A component of the DNA nucleotide that, along with deoxyribose and a base, makes up the structure of the molecule.