DNA Structure and Replication

A variety of flashcards covering key terms and concepts related to DNA structure, replication, and repair.

Central Dogma

The framework that describes the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein.

DNA Repair

The processes by which a cell identifies and corrects damage to its DNA.

DNA Polymerase

An enzyme responsible for synthesizing new DNA strands by adding nucleotides complementary to the template strand.

Primase

An enzyme that synthesizes a short RNA primer to initiate DNA replication.

Phosphodiester Bond

The bond between adjacent nucleotides in a DNA strand, formed between the phosphate group of one nucleotide and the 3'-OH of the next nucleotide.

Okazaki Fragments

Short sequences of DNA synthesized discontinuously during DNA replication on the lagging strand.

Telomeres

Repetitive nucleotide sequences at the ends of chromosomes that protect them from degradation.

Gyrase (Topoisomerase)

An enzyme that prevents the supercoiling of DNA during replication.

Chargaff's Rule

The rule stating that in a DNA molecule, the amounts of adenine equal thymine and the amounts of cytosine equal guanine.

Double Helix

The structure of DNA consisting of two spiraling strands around each other.

Base Pairing

The mechanism by which nitrogenous bases in DNA pair specifically (adenine with thymine, guanine with cytosine) to form the double helix.

Semiconservative Replication

The method of DNA replication in which each new DNA molecule consists of one original strand and one new strand.

Hydrogen Bonds

The weak bonds that form between complementary nitrogenous bases in the DNA double helix.

Replication Fork

The Y-shaped region where the DNA double helix is unwound and new strands are synthesized.

RNA Primer

A short nucleic acid sequence that provides a starting point for DNA synthesis.

Eukaryotic DNA Replication

The process of duplicating DNA in eukaryotes, which involves multiple origins of replication on linear chromosomes.

Prokaryotic DNA Replication

The process of duplicating DNA in prokaryotes, which typically has a single origin and proceeds bidirectionally.

Excision Repair

A DNA repair mechanism that removes damaged or mismatched bases and replaces them with the correct ones.

Photorepair

A specific DNA repair process that directly reverses damage caused by ultraviolet light.