BIOL 1408 - Unit III Vocab

Meiosis

cell sexual reproduction that results in a genetically unique offspring

Autosomes

the 22 pairs of chromosomes that are the same for everyone

Homologous Chromosomes

set of chromosomes that are not identical

Diploid

a cell that contains 2 copies of every chromosome

Haploid

a cell that only contains one copy of chromosomes, takes place in sperm and eggs

Alleles

different versions of the same gene, can be dominant or recessive (example: blond hair, brunette hair, red hair)

Homozygous

the alleles are the same (both recessive or both dominant)

Heterozygous

the alleles are opposites of each other (one recessive, one dominant)

Phenotype

the outcome of the alleles or genes

Gametes

mature haploid cell ready for reproduction

Karyotype

can be used to determine sex (xx or xy); a photograph of an individual’s chromosomes

Gene

sequence of nucleotides that tells the cell to make a protein

Transmission

DNA is transferred from one generation to the next

RNA

a kind of nucleic acid with two categories - mRNA and functional RNA

Transcription

the process of copying one strand of DNA to build an RNA

RNA Polymerase

the enzyme that reads the DNA bases through dehydration synthesis

tRNA

complementary base pairs with mRNA and does the translation for amino acids

Translation

happens at the ribosome with the help from tRNA and turns code into amino acid

Codon

a three-base triplet pair of nucleotides that determines an amino acid

Mutation

when DNA that makes up a gene contains an error

Silent Mutation

has no effect on the resulting protein because the change in DNA sequence does not code for a different amino acid

Missense Mutation

mutation in DNA that codes for a different amino acid. The change in the amino acid determines the impact

Nonsense Mutation

mutation that typically have drastic effects on the resulting protein because it codes for a STOP codon

STOP Codon

a sequence of three nucleotides (a trinucleotide) in DNA or messenger RNA (mRNA) that signals a halt to protein synthesis in the cell

Nucleotide

contains a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base; it makes up the base of DNA and RNA

Complementary Base Pairing

base pairings that fit together in a strand of DNA

Replication

the copying of genetic info before cell division

Mitosis

asexual reproduction that produces genetically identical cells with the same number of chromosomes as the parent cell

Cell Cycle

depicts the activities of a cell as it grows

Interphase

the resting phase before mitosis; the starting phase of mitosis and meiosis

Centromere

the region of a chromosome to which the microtubules of the spindle attach, via the kinetochore, during cell division

Sister Chromatids

two identical copies attached at the centromere; are duplicated chromosomes from the same parent

Prophase

the chromosomes become visible as paired chromatids and the nuclear envelope disappears

Prometaphase

the process that separates the duplicated genetic material carried in the nucleus of a parent cell into two identical daughter cells

Metaphase

the spindle aligns the duplicated chromosomes in the center of the cell

Anaphase

the centromeres holding sister chromatids together split and the chromosomes are pulled in opposite directions

Telophase

the last phase of mitosis; the chromosomes are now separated into two groups near each centrosome; the chromosomes decondense and two new nuclear envelopes form

Cytokinesis

the cytoplasm divides and two separate plasma membranes form, creating two genetically identical daughter cells

Chromatin

when DNA wraps around the protein histone

Punnett Square

a square diagram that is used to predict the genotypes of a particular cross or breeding experiment