Genetics and Cellular Function: Protein & Gene Regulation

Flashcards covering vocabulary from a lecture on genetics and cellular function, focusing on protein and gene regulation.

Messenger RNA (mRNA)

A mirror image of the gene, migrates from the nucleus to cytoplasm to be read by the ribosomes.

Ribosomes

Cytoplasmic granules composed of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and enzymes that read the code of mRNA.

Transfer RNA (tRNA)

Delivers amino acids to the ribosome for protein assembly.

Transcription

The step from DNA to mRNA, occurring in the nucleus.

Translation

The step from mRNA to protein, mostly occurring in the cytoplasm.

Codon

A series of three RNA nucleotides that codes for a specific amino acid.

Anticodon

Triplets of corresponding nucleotides on transfer RNA (tRNA) that bind to codons of mRNA.

RNA polymerase

Enzyme that binds to DNA and assembles mRNA during transcription.

Exons

Sense portions of immature RNA that will be translated to protein.

Introns

Nonsense portions of immature RNA that must be removed before translation.

Alternative splicing

Removing introns and splicing exons together into a functional RNA molecule.

Translation

The process that converts the language of nucleotides into the language of amino acids.

Chaperone proteins

Proteins that guide new proteins in folding into the proper shapes, preventing improper association between different proteins, also called stress proteins or heat-shock proteins.

Gene Regulation

The process of turning genes on and off based on cellular needs.

Transcription activator

A regulatory protein that moves into the nucleus and binds to the DNA near a gene, enabling RNA polymerase to bind and transcribe it.