Bio Unit 2: Mechanisms of Inheritance (vocab 1-20)

DNA

contains the genetic instructions to all living things

Nucleotide

basic building blocks of DNA, made up of three components

Deoxyribose sugar

The sugar molecule in DNA that has 5 carbon atoms and lacks an oxygen atom.

Ribose Sugar

The versions of deoxyribose with the extra oxygen.

Nitrogenous base

The portion of the nucleotide that connects to the other nucleotide. The inside molecules of a DNA double helix.

Purine

Two-ring nitrogenous bases.

Pyrimidine

One-ring nitrogenous bases.

Hydrogen Bond

holds nitrogenous bases together. AT2 CG3

Antiparallel

The orientation of DNA strands.

Double helix

Shape of DNA molecule

Enzymes

proteins that acts as a catalyst for important biochemical reactions.

Semiconservative

each new DNA molecule is made up of one parent strand and one newly created daughter strand.

Parent strand

the older strand of DNA that acts as a template from which new strands will be duplicated.

Daughter Strand

the newly created strand of DNA.

Dna Helicase

enzyme that is responsible for unwinding and unzipping DNA by breaking hydrogen bonds.

Replication Fork

The location where unzipping takes place and the single strands are exposed.

DNA polymerase

Catalyzes the addition of appropriate nucleotides to the new DNA strand. Builds and proofreads.

Leading Strand

replication on the strand that is continuous. Elongates towards replication fork.

Lagging strand

replication on the strand that is discontinuous. Elongates away from the replication fork in segments called Okazaki fragments.

DNA Ligase

Chemical glue that links okazaki fragments and segments of DNA together.