BSC1010 7.1 to 7.4 vocabulary

RNA

nucleic acid typically consisting of a single strand of nucleotides

DNA

genetic material consisting of a double helix of nucleotides

nucleotides

building block of a nucleic acid, consisting of a phosphate group, a nitrogenous base, and a five-carbon sugar

complementary base pairing

in DNA and RNA, the precise pairing of purines (A and G) to pyrimidines (C, T, and U)

genome

all the genetic material in an organism

chromosome

a continuous molecule of DNA wrapped around protein in the nucleus of a eukaryotic cell; also, the genetic material of a prokaryotic cell

gene

sequence of DNA that codes for a specific protein or RNA molecule

transcription

production of RNA using DNA as a template

translation

assembly of an amino acid chain according to the sequence of nucleotides in mRNA

alleles

one of two or more alternative forms of a gene

mRNA

a molecule of RNA that encodes a protein

codon

a triplet of mRNA bases that specifies a particular amino acid

rRNA

a molecule of RNA that, along with proteins, forms a ribosome

ribosome

a structure built of RNA and protein where mRNA anchors during protein synthesis

tRNA

a molecule of RNA that binds an amino acid at one site and an mRNA codon at its anticodon site