Bio vocab quiz

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid: a molecule in cells that contains the genetic instructions for an organisms development and function

RNA

A nuclei acid that carries genetic information copied from DNA.

mRNA

A single stranded molecule that carries genetic instructions from DNA in the nucleus to the cytoplasm where proteins are made

tRNA

A type of RNA molecule that helps decode a messenger RNA sequence into a protein

rRNA

A non coding RNA that forms the structural framework of ribosomes

Nitrogen base

A molecule that contains nitrogen and has the chemical properties of a base

epistasis

the description of how gene interactions can impact phenotypes or how one gene’s expression can be modified by another

RNA polymerase

a complex enzyme that transcribes DNA into RNA

RNA primer

a short, single-stranded RNA segment that acts as a starting point for DNA synthesis.

primase

an enzyme involved in the replication of DNA and is a type of RNA polymerase. Primase catalyzes the synthesis of a RNA primer

helicase

an enzyme that unwinds the double-stranded DNA molecule by breaking the hydrogen bonds between base pairs

operator

regulatory DNA elements that control transcription initiation. A segment of DNA where the repressor binds to preventing the transcription of certain genes

pyrimidine

pyrimidines (cytosine and thymine) are one-carbon nitrogen ring bases.

purine

Purines (adenine and guanine) are two-carbon nitrogen ring bases

intron

noncoding DNA sequences within genes that are removed before the RNA molecule is translated into a protein.

exon

the coding portions of DNA or RNA

splicing

a biological process where a newly synthesized pre-mRNA is transformed into a mature mRNA. It occurs during protein synthesis and involves the removal of non-coding sequences and then joining the coding regions

ligase

an enzyme that can catalyze the joining (ligation) of two molecules by forming a new chemical bond

leading strand

a strand of DNA that replicates continuously without stopping

lagging strand

a strand of DNA that replicates discontinuously, stopping and then starting again.

telomeres

structures made from DNA sequences and proteins found at the ends of chromosomes

telomerase

a enzyme that adds nucleotides to telomeres, especially in cancer cells

3’ to 5’

the number of carbon atoms in a DNA sugar molecule

5’ to 3’

the bases in the DNA which are only read and synthesized 5’ to 3’

hydrogen bond

a polar bond between hydrogen and another electronegative atom

ozakai fragments

small sections of DNA that are formed during discontinuous synthesis of the lagging strand during DNA replication

nucleic acid

an organic substance whose molecules consist of many nucleotides linked in a long chain.

active site

the region of an enzyme where substrate molecules bind and undergo a chemical reaction.

transcription

the process of copying a segment of DNA into RNA for the purpose of gene expression.

TATA box

a DNA sequence that indicates where a genetic sequence can be read and decoded. It is a type of promoter sequence.

template strand

the strand that is used during transcription to produce RNA.

codon

a DNA or mRNA sequence of three nucleotides that forms a unit encoding a particular amino acid or signaling the termination of protein synthesis held in the coding strand.

anticodon

a sequence of three nucleotides in transfer RNA that binds to a corresponding codon and designates a specific amino acid, held in the template strand

coding strand

the DNA strand whose base sequence is similar to its primary transcript (RNA)

start codon

the initial set of codons in an mRNA transcript that is translated by a ribosome. In eukaryotes, the most common start codon is AUG

stop codon

a sequence of three nucleotides in DNA or mRNA that signals a stop to protein synthesis in the cell.

nucleotide

the basic building block of nucleic a. It consists of a sugar molecule, either ribose or deoxyribo, attached to a phosphate group and a nitrogen-containing base.

5 carbon sugar

5 carbon sugars, aka pentose, are types of carbohydrates that contain five carbon atoms in their molecular structure. These sugars play a crucial role in forming nucleotides

phosphate

A form of phosphoric acid, which contains phosphorus

histones

a protein that provides structural support for a chromosome

semiconservative replication

process in which two copies of the original DNA molecule are produced, each copy replicating the information from one half of the original DNA molecule

a Y-shaped region where the parent DNA double helix splits into two strands to be copied

mutation

Any change in the DNA sequence of a cell

point mutation

a genetic alteration that occurs when a single base pair in an organism's DNA or RNA sequence is changed, deleted, or inserted

frame shift mutation

a genetic mutation that occurs when bases are inserted or deleted from a DNA sequence in a number that isn't three

transformation

a process in which foreign DNA is introduced into bacterial cells, resulting in the acquisition of new genetic traits.

transformation experiment

an experiment preformed by Frederick Griffith in 1928, which was the first experiment suggesting that bacteria are capable of transferring genetic information through a process known as transformation.

capsid

the protein shell of a virus, enclosing its genetic material.

viral envelope

a lipid bilayer membrane that surrounds the capsid of some viruses, protecting their genetic material as they travel between host cells

bacteriophage

viruses that infect and replicate within bacteria and archaea

lytic phase

the virus introduces its genome into a host cell and initiates replication by hijacking the host's cellular machinery to make new copies of the virus.

lysogenic phase

viruses sneak into the host's DNA, stay hidden, and wait. Later, they become active, make copies, and infect other cells.

names of people involved in DNA

james watson, Francis crick, Rosalind Franklin, Erwin Chargaff, Maurice Wilkins, Hershey and Chase

watson and crick

discovered the DNA double helix

Rosalind franklin

discovered the structure of DNA

erwin chargaff

discovered that in DNA the ratios of adenine to thymine and guanine to cytosine are equal.

maurice wilkins

also helped discover the double helix in dna

hershey and chase

helped confirm that DNA is genetic material