AP Bio Unit 6

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes about molecular genetics and biotechnology for AP Biology exam prep.

A double stranded helical molecule composed of nucleotide monomers that serves as the molecule of heredity in all organisms.

DNA

A molecule involved in information transfer related to protein synthesis; the hereditary molecule in some viruses.

RNA

The monomer of DNA, consisting of a five carbon sugar (deoxyribose), a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

Nucleotide

Adenine binds only with Thymine (A with T), and Guanine binds only with Cytosine (G with C).

Base Pairing Rules

The orientation of DNA strands where they are upside down relative to one another, with one strand having a five prime end and the other a three prime end.

Antiparallel

The method of DNA replication where each daughter DNA double helix consists of one conserved strand from the parent molecule and one newly synthesized strand.

Semi-Conservative Replication

An enzyme that separates the double stranded DNA at the origin of replication, breaking the hydrogen bonds and exposing single strands.

Helicase

The key enzyme involved in creating new DNA by binding new nucleotides to the three prime end of a growing strand.

DNA Polymerase

An enzyme that lays down an RNA primer, a short sequence of RNA that DNA polymerase can start connecting DNA nucleotides to.

Primase

Proteins that keep the double helix from rewinding during replication, allowing other enzymes to access the DNA.

Single Strand Binding Proteins

The strand where DNA replication is continuous because DNA polymerase is following the opening replication fork.

Leading Strand

The strand where DNA replication is discontinuous, synthesized in the opposite direction from the opening replication fork in short sequences called Okasaki fragments.

Lagging Strand

Short sequences of DNA synthesized discontinuously on the lagging strand during replication.

Okazaki Fragments

An enzyme required to seal the gaps between DNA fragments on the lagging strand, creating complete daughter strands.

DNA Ligase

DNA makes RNA makes protein; information flows from DNA triplets to mRNA codons to amino acids.

Central Dogma of Molecular Genetics

A sequence of DNA nucleotides that codes for RNA, which codes for protein.

Gene

Messenger RNA; a linear molecule that brings instructions from DNA to ribosomes.

mRNA

Transfer RNA; brings specific amino acids to the ribosomes during protein synthesis.

tRNA

Ribosomal RNA; makes up the catalytic part of ribosomes and binds amino acids together during protein synthesis.

rRNA

A group of three RNA nucleotides that codes for one amino acid.

Codon

A mostly prokaryotic system of gene regulation that has control elements that allow for gene regulation.

Operon

An operon that can be induced to be turned on, such as the lac operon which is turned on by lactose.

Inducible Operon

An operon that can be repressed, such as the trp operon, where tryptophan acts a corepressor and turns the system off.

Repressible Operon

Changes in DNA expression that involve reversible chemical modifications of DNA or modifications in DNA packaging.

Epigenetics

DNA that has been combined from more than one source.

Recombinant DNA