Exam One Review: Genetics, Processes, and Cell Division

Vocabulary review flashcards covering key terms for genetic building blocks, replication, transcription, translation, cell division, and inheritance.

Central Dogma

The framework describing the flow of genetic information from DNA replication to RNA transcription and protein translation.

Replication

The genetic process occurring in the nucleus that duplicates DNA using sites of origin, primers, and Okazaki fragments.

Transcription

The genetic process occurring inside the nucleus that produces RNA, beginning at a promoter and ending at a termination site.

Translation

The genetic process occurring outside the nucleus at the ribosome that produces proteins.

Direction of Nucleic Acid Synthesis

$5' \rightarrow 3'$ directional orientation for nucleic acid strand elongation.

p-ARM / q-ARM

The short arm (p-arm) and long arm (q-arm) of a chromosome separated by the centromere.

Okazaki Fragments

Short fragments of synthesized DNA created during replication on the lagging strand.

Primer

A short nucleic acid strand that serves as a starting point for RNA replication.

Promoter

A DNA region that signals the initiation of DNA transcription inside the nucleus.

Termination Site

A sequence of DNA that signals the end of RNA transcription.

Ribosome

The cellular structure outside the nucleus responsible for translation and protein synthesis.

Mitosis Cell Division Phases

The sequential stages of mitotic nuclear division consisting of Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, and Telophase.

Meiosis

Cell division producing gametes/germ cells, differing from mitosis in its process, products, and male versus female outcomes.

Apoptosis

Programmed cell death that operates as part of cell regulation alongside cyclins and checkpoint proteins.

Checkpoint Proteins

Regulatory proteins that monitor and ensure the proper progression of the cell cycle during division.

3 Processes of Genetic Variation

Independent assortment of chromosomes, crossing over, and fertilization.

Thyamine

A nitrogenous base pair component present in DNA.

Uracil

A nitrogenous base component present in RNA in place of thymine.

Pleiotropy

A non-Mendelian genetic phenomenon in which a single gene influences multiple un-related phenotypic traits.

Polygenic

A non-Mendelian inheritance pattern where a trait is determined by the additive effect of multiple genes.

Penetrance

A non-Mendelian genetic concept representing the proportion of individuals carrying a genotype who express the corresponding phenotype.

Variable Expressivity

A non-Mendelian genetic concept describing the range or severity of phenotypic expression among individuals with a given genotype.

Epigenetics

Heritable changes in gene expression that occur without altering the underlying DNA sequence.

Imprinting

An epigenetic modification causing gene expression to depend on whether the gene was inherited from the male or female parent.