genetics final

Agar

a gel-like polysaccharide compound used for culturing microbes; extracted from certain red algae

agarose

A polymer made up of sugar molecules that is used as the matrix in gel electrophoresis procedures.

aliquot

a portion of a mixture

allele

Different forms of a gene

amino acids

building blocks of proteins

Ampicillin

penicillin

amplicon

a DNA sequence that has been amplified by PCR

anneal

reduce brittleness and improve toughness by heating and cooling (metal or glass)

antibiotic

a medicine used to save lives because it destroys harmful bacteria and cures infections

Chromatography

A technique that is used to separate the components of a mixture based on the tendency of each component to travel or be drawn across the surface of another material.

codon

A specific sequence of three adjacent bases on a strand of DNA or RNA that provides genetic code information for a particular amino acid

chromatography column

separates the analytes and measures the quantity of each

DNA extraction

the process of separating DNA from the rest of the cell

DNA polymerase

An enzyme that catalyzes the formation of the DNA molecule.

DNA size standard

Standard or control sample that contains DNA fragments of known size

DNA stain

used to stain the gel after electrophoresis

-since DNA cannot be seen with the naked eye, DNA stain is necessary to visualize your DNA fragments

Gel electrophoresis

Procedure used to separate and analyze DNA fragments by placing a mixture of DNA fragments at one end of a porous gel and applying an electrical voltage to the gel

Stem Cells

undifferentiated cells

Enzymes

Proteins that speed up chemical reactions

Exon

expressed sequence of DNA; codes for a protein

Fraction

one or more of the equal parts of a whole; fragment

genetic engineering

Process of making changes in the DNA code of living organisms

GMO

genetically modified organism

GMP

guanosine monophosphate

GLP

Good Laboratory Practices

Hydrophobic interaction chromatography

column chromatography that separates molecules based on their hydrophobicity (aversion to water molecules)

Intron

sequence of DNA that is not involved in coding for a protein

LB broth

a nutritionally rich medium, promotes bacteria growth

locus

Location of a gene on a chromosome

Master Mix

A solution containing Taq polymerase, primers and a rection buffer which is added to the DNA before temperature change

MSDS

Material Safety Data Sheet

Media

various methods for communicating information

mRNA

messenger RNA

Microbiology

The study of microorganisms

MIcrocentrifuge

A centrifuge used in laboratories to separate materials from small samples (especially of biological material)

MOlecular mass ruler

DNA standard with specific masses of DNA in each band that can be used to estimate DNA quantities on an agarose gel

Nucleotide

A building block of DNA, consisting of a five-carbon sugar covalently bonded to a nitrogenous base and a phosphate group.

origion of replication

a sequence of DNA at which replication is initiated on a chromosome, plasmid or virus.

Pathogens

disease causing agents

Pellet

heavy organelles that sink to the bottom of the centrifugation tube

PPE

Personal Protection Equipment

Petri plate

A small, flat dish made of thin glass or plastic that contains sterile solid medium for the culture of microorganisms; also called Petri dish.

Phenotype

An organism's physical appearance, or visible traits.

Plasmid

small, circular piece of DNA located in the cytoplasm of many bacteria

PCR

(polymerase chain reaction) multiple copies of a specific segment of DNA

Polypeptide

A polymer (chain) of many amino acids linked together by peptide bonds.

Primary structure

sequence of amino acids

Primer

A short segment of DNA that acts as the starting point for a new strand

Protien

Chains of amino acids

Quantitative PCR

A PCR-based technique in which the amount of amplified gene product directly reflects the amount of template present in the initial sample. Often used to estimate and compare levels of specific mRNA molecules.

Quaternary structure

The fourth level of protein structure; the shape resulting from the association of two or more polypeptide subunits.

Real Time PCR

newly made DNA is tagged with a fluorescent dye; the levels of fluorescence can be measured after every PCR cycle

Recombinant DNA

A DNA molecule made in vitro with segments from different sources.

Replication

Copying process by which a cell duplicates its DNA

Restriction enzymes

Enzyme that cuts DNA at a specific sequence of nucleotides

RFLP

Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism

Riboome

Protein synthesis begins in what cellular​ organelle?

sample loading buffer

an additive for DNA samples loaded into a gel that allow for the sinking of the sample into the well, better visualization when loading the sample, and tracking of the DNA as it moves along the gel

STR

short tandem repeats

size exclusion chromatography

relies on porous beads; larger molecules elute first because they are not trapped in small pores

sterile technique

Techniques of creating a sterile field and performing within the sterile field to keep microbes at an irreducible minimum

substrate

reactant of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction

supernant

the liquid left in a suspension

template DNA

Stand of original DNA that transcription occurs on.

Tertiary structure

The third level of protein structure; the overall, three-dimensional shape of a polypeptide due to interactions of the R groups of the amino acids making up the chain.

Thermal cycler

An instrument that automatically cycles through different temperatures used to complete PCR reactions

Transcription

(genetics) the organic process whereby the DNA sequence in a gene is copied into mRNA

tRNA

transfer RNA; type of RNA that carries amino acids to the ribosome

transformation

process in which one strain of bacteria is changed by a gene or genes from another strain of bacteria

translation

Process by which mRNA is decoded and a protein is produced

Immunity: Innate

Nonspecific host defense not acquired through contact with an antigen. It includes skin and mucous membrane barriers to infectious agents and a variety of nonspecific immunologic factors.

Antigens

Foreign material that invades the body

Antibodies

Specialized proteins that aid in destroying infectious agents

ELISA

enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

Epitope

Small, accessible portion of an antigen that can be recognized.

Direct ELISA

detects antigens

Indirect ELISA

detects antibodies

Immune deficiencies

Failure of immune mechanisms of self-defense

Positive control

Group expected to have a positive result, allowing the researcher to show that the experimental set up was capable of producing results.

negative control

a group of data lacking what is being tested so as to give expected negative results

stem cells

unspecialized cells that are able to renew themselves for long periods of time by cell division

somatic stem cells

adult stem cells

embryonic stem cells

undifferentiated cells that are unlike any specific adult cell

induced pluripotent cells

iPS differentiated cells that are reprogrammed to become pluripotent that can be used to study and treat disease

Differentiation

process in which cells become specialized in structure and function

Protien synthesis

formation of protiens by using info. contained in DNA and carried by mRNA

RNA

single-stranded nucleic acid that contains the sugar ribose

Exclusion limit

the molecular mass of the smallest molecule unable to penetrate the pores of a given gel

Lysed cells

Animal cells that have burst due to internal pressure

Lysozyme

an enzyme found in saliva and sweat and tears that destroys the cell walls of certain bacteria

denaturation

loss of normal shape of a protein due to heat or other factor

extension

increases the angle of a joint

DNA profiling

A procedure that analyzes DNA fragments to determine whether they come from a specific individual.

Power of discrimination

The ability of the profiling to tell the genetic difference between different individuals

Genotype

genetic makeup of an organism

plant primers

required to make PCR copies of plant DNA

GMO primers

required to make PCR copies of DNA that has been genetically modified

antibiotic resistance

the evolution of populations of pathogenic bacteria that antibiotics are unable to kill

Prokaryotic

cells that do not have a nucleus