Gonorrhea and Molecular Genetics Practice Flashcards

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the pathology of Gonorrhea, molecular genetics, DNA repair, operon regulation, and antimicrobial control of microbial growth based on lecture transcripts.

Gonorrhea

A reportable and sexually transmitted disease originally named by Galen in A.D. 130, meaning "flow of seed" because he mistook pus for semen.

Neisseria gonorrhea

The infectious agent of gonorrhea, described by Albert Neisser in 1879, which is a Gram-negative diplococcus resembling a pair of coffee beans.

IgA protease

An infection component of $N. gonorrhea$ that breaks down mucosal IgA, a key component of the immune system.

Pili

Bacterial structures that help $N. gonorrhea$ adhere to mucosal membranes.

Lipooligosaccharide (LOS)

A component of $N. gonorrhea$ that causes inflammation and tissue damage.

Asymptomatic Carriers

Individuals who carry $N. gonorrhea$ without showing symptoms, occurring in $50\text{--}80\%$ of women and $10\text{--}20\%$ of men.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)

A complication of gonorrhea in women where the infection spreads to the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries, potentially causing infertility or ectopic pregnancy.

Epididymitis

A complication of gonorrhea in men involving painful swelling near the testicles which can lead to infertility in severe cases.

Genotype

The full collection of genes that an organism contains, providing the instructions for its function.

Phenotype

The observable characteristics of an organism resulting from the interaction of its genotype with the environment.

Helicase

The enzyme in DNA replication responsible for unzipping the parental DNA strands at the replication fork.

DNA Polymerase III

The primary enzyme that adds nucleotides to the growing DNA strand during replication.

Okazaki fragments

Small fragments of DNA synthesized on the lagging strand during discontinuous DNA synthesis.

DNA Ligase

The enzyme that joins DNA fragments together, such as sealing the gaps between Okazaki fragments.

Transcription

The process by which genetic information from DNA is used to produce RNA.

Monocistronic RNA

mRNA that contains the code for a single gene; common in eukaryotes.

Polycistronic RNA

mRNA that contains the code for multiple genes (an operon) under a single promoter; common in prokaryotes like $E. coli$.

Shine-Dalgarno sequence

A purine-rich sequence on bacterial mRNA ($5'$ untranslated region) that helps ribosome binding and translation initiation.

Silent mutation

A point mutation (base substitution) that has no effect on the resulting protein sequence.

Missense mutation

A point mutation that results in the substitution of one amino acid for another in the protein sequence.

Nonsense mutation

A point mutation that substitutes a stop codon for an amino acid, resulting in a shortened protein.

Frameshift mutation

An insertion or deletion of one or more bases that results in a shift in the reading frame of the mRNA.

Thymine dimer

A type of DNA damage caused by non-ionizing radiation (UV light) where two adjacent thymine bases become covalently bonded, creating a kink.

Nucleotide excision repair

A DNA repair mechanism where a nuclease cuts the damaged strand, helicase removes the section, and DNA polymerase I and ligase make repairs.

The trp Operon

A repressible operon where RNA synthesis is blocked when tryptophan is present and binds to the repressor.

The lac Operon

An inducible operon activated by the cAMP-CAP complex to increase RNA synthesis when glucose is low.

Transformation

A mechanism of genetic diversity in prokaryotes where a cell takes up DNA directly from the environment.

Transduction

A mechanism of genetic horizontal transfer where DNA is moved from one bacterium to another by a virus (bacteriophage).

Conjugation

The transfer of genetic material between bacterial cells through direct cell-to-cell contact.

Molecular Cloning

The process of inserting foreign DNA into a plasmid using restriction enzymes and DNA ligase to create recombinant DNA.

DNA Electrophoresis

A technique using an agarose gel and electric current to separate DNA fragments based on their size.

Ethidium bromide

A staining agent used in DNA electrophoresis to make DNA visible under ultraviolet light.

Sterilization

The process by which ALL living cells, spores, and viruses are destroyed on an object, often using heat under pressure.

Sanitation

The process of reducing microbial populations to safe levels, usually involving cleaning and disinfection.

Disinfection

The killing or removal of disease-producing organisms from inanimate surfaces, though not necessarily achieving sterilization.

Antisepsis

The removal of pathogens from the surface of living tissues, such as skin, using agents like alcohol or iodine.

Broad-spectrum Antibiotics

Antimicrobials that target a wide variety of bacterial pathogens, including both Gram-positive and Gram-negative species.

Clavulanic acid

An irreversible inhibitor of $\beta$-lactamase enzymes used to protect $\beta$-lactam antibiotics from bacterial resistance.