BIO 181 – General Biology I Lecture 13: Blueprints and Kinkos

These flashcards cover key concepts related to DNA replication and repair as discussed in Lecture 13 of General Biology I.

Hereditary Material

DNA is the hereditary material passed from one generation to the next, as determined by key historical experiments.

Griffith's Experiment

Demonstrated transformation in bacteria, indicating that DNA could be the hereditary material.

Transformation

The process by which heat-killed virulent bacteria can convert nonvirulent bacteria into virulent ones through the action of DNA.

Avery-MacLeod-McCarty Experiment

Experimental proof that DNA, not protein or RNA, is the hereditary material, by showing only extracts containing intact DNA could transform bacteria.

Hershey-Chase Experiment

Defined the role of DNA as the genetic material by studying the infectivity of a bacteriophage and its components.

Semiconservative Replication

The mechanism of DNA replication where each new DNA molecule consists of one old strand and one new strand.

Leading Strand

The DNA strand synthesized continuously in the direction of the replication fork during DNA replication.

Lagging Strand

The DNA strand synthesized discontinuously away from the replication fork, forming Okazaki fragments.

Okazaki Fragments

Short segments of DNA synthesized on the lagging strand during DNA replication.

DNA Polymerase I

An enzyme that removes RNA primers from the newly synthesized DNA strand and replaces them with DNA.

DNA Ligase

An enzyme that connects Okazaki fragments and forms covalent bonds, sealing gaps in the sugar-phosphate backbone.

Telomeres

Repeated DNA sequences at the ends of linear chromosomes that protect them from degradation during replication.

Telomerase

An enzyme that adds repeating bases to the ends of telomeres, which helps maintain chromosome integrity.

Proofreading

The process by which DNA polymerase checks and corrects errors in base pairing during DNA synthesis.

Mismatch Repair

A DNA repair mechanism that corrects mismatched bases outside of DNA synthesis.

Nucleotide Excision Repair

The process by which damaged sections of DNA are removed and replaced, particularly important for repairing UV-induced damage.