Molecular Basis of Inheritance

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture on the molecular basis of inheritance, focusing on DNA structure, replication, and genetic engineering.

DNA

The substance of inheritance that directs the development of biochemical, anatomical, physiological, and behavioral traits.

DNA replication

The process through which DNA is copied to transmit genetic information to the next generation.

Base pairing

The specific pairing of nitrogenous bases in DNA, where adenine pairs with thymine and guanine pairs with cytosine.

Transformation

The change in genotype and phenotype due to the assimilation of foreign DNA, as demonstrated by Griffith's experiments.

Bacteriophages

Viruses that infect bacteria, providing evidence that DNA is the genetic material.

Chargaff's rules

The findings that base composition of DNA varies between species, and in any species, the percentages of adenine and thymine are equal, and guanine and cytosine are equal.

Double helix

The structural model of DNA proposed by Watson and Crick, where two strands wind around each other.

Nucleotide

The basic structural unit of DNA, consisting of a nitrogenous base, a 5-C sugar (deoxyribose), and a phosphate group.

Okazaki fragments

Short segments of DNA synthesized on the lagging strand during DNA replication.

Telomeres

Special nucleotide sequences at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes that prevent the loss of essential genes during DNA replication.

Telomerase

An enzyme that lengthens telomeres in germ cells, which is not active in most somatic cells.

DNA polymerase

An enzyme that synthesizes new DNA strands by adding nucleotides to a growing chain.

CRISPR-Cas9 system

A powerful gene-editing technique that uses a guide RNA to direct the Cas9 nuclease to cut specific sections of DNA.