BIOL 151 Exam Review

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to cell signaling pathways, cell cycle regulation, and DNA replication in the context of biology.

Adrenaline pathway

A signaling pathway activated by adrenaline that affects cellular responses.

Monoamine Oxidase

An enzyme that breaks down monoamines, decreasing their effect on the adrenaline pathway.

GTPase

An enzyme that hydrolyzes GTP to GDP, playing a role in cellular signaling.

Phosphodiesterase

An enzyme that breaks down cAMP and cGMP, thereby terminating their signaling effects.

cAMP

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate, a second messenger involved in the signaling pathways.

Cyclins

Regulatory proteins that control the progression of cells through the cell cycle.

CDK (Cyclin-Dependent Kinase)

A type of kinase that is activated by cyclins to phosphorylate target proteins involved in the cell cycle.

Rb (Retinoblastoma protein)

A tumor suppressor protein that regulates the cell cycle by inhibiting progression from G1 to S phase.

E2F

A group of genes that are essential for the progression of the cell cycle.

p53

A protein that regulates the cell cycle and functions as a tumor suppressor; prevents propagation of damaged DNA.

EGF pathway

A signaling pathway activated by Epidermal Growth Factor that regulates cell growth.

S phase

The phase of the cell cycle in which DNA is replicated.

Mismatch repair

A process that corrects mispaired nucleotides during DNA replication.

Helicase

An enzyme that unwinds the DNA helix ahead of the replication fork.

Polymerase III

An enzyme involved in the synthesis of DNA during replication.

Dideoxy nucleotides

Modified nucleotides used in Sanger sequencing that terminate DNA synthesis.

Replication bubble

A structure that forms during DNA replication where the DNA double helix unwinds.

Non-homologous End Joining (NHEJ)

A DNA repair pathway that repairs double-strand breaks in DNA.

Homology Directed Repair

A DNA repair process that uses a homologous sequence as a template for repair.

Adrenaline pathway

A signaling pathway activated by adrenaline that affects cellular responses.

Monoamine Oxidase

An enzyme that breaks down monoamines, decreasing their effect on the adrenaline pathway.

GTPase

An enzyme that hydrolyzes GTP to GDP, playing a role in cellular signaling.

Phosphodiesterase

An enzyme that breaks down cAMP and cGMP, thereby terminating their signaling effects.

cAMP

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate, a second messenger involved in the signaling pathways.

Cyclins

Regulatory proteins that control the progression of cells through the cell cycle.

CDK (Cyclin-Dependent Kinase)

A type of kinase that is activated by cyclins to phosphorylate target proteins involved in the cell cycle.

Rb (Retinoblastoma protein)

A tumor suppressor protein that regulates the cell cycle by inhibiting progression from G1 to S phase.

E2F

A group of genes that are essential for the progression of the cell cycle.

p53

A protein that regulates the cell cycle and functions as a tumor suppressor; prevents propagation of damaged DNA.

EGF pathway

A signaling pathway activated by Epidermal Growth Factor that regulates cell growth.

S phase

The phase of the cell cycle in which DNA is replicated.

Mismatch repair

A process that corrects mispaired nucleotides during DNA replication.

Helicase

An enzyme that unwinds the DNA helix ahead of the replication fork.

Dideoxy nucleotides

Modified nucleotides used in Sanger sequencing that terminate DNA synthesis.

Replication bubble

A structure that forms during DNA replication where the DNA double helix unwinds.

Non-homologous End Joining (NHEJ)

A DNA repair pathway that repairs double-strand breaks in DNA.

Homology Directed Repair

A DNA repair process that uses a homologous sequence as a template for repair.

Adrenaline

A hormone and neurotransmitter that activates the adrenaline pathway, initiating the 'fight or flight' response.

G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR)

A cell surface receptor type that binds adrenaline and activates intracellular G-proteins, a key step in the adrenaline pathway.

Adenylyl cyclase

An enzyme activated by G-proteins in the adrenaline pathway, responsible for converting ATP to the second messenger cAMP.

Protein Kinase A (PKA)

An enzyme activated by cAMP, which phosphorylates target proteins to mediate downstream cellular effects of adrenaline.

G1 phase

The first gap phase of the cell cycle, characterized by cell growth and preparation for DNA synthesis.

G2 phase

The second gap phase of the cell cycle, characterized by further cell growth and synthesis of proteins required for mitosis.

M phase

The mitotic phase of the cell cycle, which includes mitosis (nuclear division) and cytokinesis (cytoplasmic division), leading to cell separation.

Cell Cycle Checkpoints

Regulatory mechanisms within the cell cycle that ensure proper progression by monitoring for critical events like DNA damage or chromosome alignment.

DNA Ligase

An enzyme that catalyzes the formation of a phosphodiester bond to join DNA fragments, such as Okazaki fragments, during DNA replication and repair.

DNA Primase

An enzyme that synthesizes short RNA primers, providing a starting point for DNA polymerase to begin DNA synthesis during replication.

Topoisomerase

An enzyme that resolves DNA supercoiling ahead of the replication fork by transiently cutting and rejoining DNA strands.

Okazaki fragments

Short, newly synthesized DNA fragments that are formed on the lagging strand during DNA replication and are later joined together.

Semi-conservative replication

The mechanism of DNA replication where each new DNA molecule consists of one original (parental) strand and one newly synthesized (daughter) strand.

Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF)

A signaling protein that binds to the EGF receptor and stimulates cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation through the EGF pathway.

Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (RTK)

A class of cell surface receptors, including the EGF receptor, that, upon ligand binding, phosphorylate tyrosine residues on intracellular proteins to initiate downstream signaling.

Adrenergic Receptors

A class of G-protein coupled receptors that bind catecholamines like adrenaline and noradrenaline, mediating various physiological responses.

Apoptosis

A process of programmed cell death, essential for development and to remove damaged or unwanted cells, often regulated by cell cycle checkpoints.

DNA Polymerase I

An enzyme in prokaryotes primarily involved in removing RNA primers and filling in the resulting gaps with DNA during replication and repair.

Ras protein

A small GTPase that acts as a molecular switch, crucial in signal transduction pathways downstream of receptor tyrosine kinases, like in the EGF pathway.

Telomeres

Repetitive nucleotide sequences at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes that protect genetic information during cell division from degradation and fusion.