Ap Bio Unit 14 Vocab

Gene

A specific sequence of nucleotides in DNA that contains information for protein synthesis.

Central Dogma of Molecular Biology

The flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein.

Transcription

The process of synthesizing RNA from a DNA template.

Translation

The process of synthesizing polypeptides from mRNA.

Codon

A sequence of three nucleotides in mRNA that corresponds to a specific amino acid.

tRNA (Transfer RNA)

A type of RNA that carries amino acids to the ribosome for protein synthesis.

Ribosome

Cellular structure made of rRNA and proteins that facilitates translation.

Point Mutation

A change in a single nucleotide pair in DNA.

Missense Mutation

A point mutation that alters one amino acid in a protein sequence.

Nonsense Mutation

A point mutation that creates a premature stop codon in a protein sequence.

Silent Mutation

A mutation that does not affect the protein function.

Frameshift Mutation

Mutations caused by insertions or deletions that alter the reading frame of the genetic code.

Phenotype

The observable traits or characteristics of an organism.

Aneuploidy

An abnormal number of chromosomes due to nondisjunction during cell division.

Spliceosome

A complex that facilitates the splicing of RNA to remove introns and join exons.

Polyadenylation

The addition of a poly-A tail to mRNA in eukaryotic cells.

5' Capping

The addition of a modified guanine nucleotide to the 5' end of mRNA.

Horizontal Gene Transfer

The transfer of genetic material between organisms in a manner other than traditional reproduction, common in prokaryotes.

Redundancy in Genetic Code

The phenomenon where multiple codons can code for the same amino acid.

Phenotypic Advantage

The benefit conferred by certain mutations that increase an organism's survival in specific environments.