Gene Expression: The Genetic Code and Transcription

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key concepts of gene expression, transcription, and the genetic code.

Central Dogma of Molecular Biology

The principle that explains the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein.

Transcription

The process of synthesizing RNA using DNA as a template.

Translation

The process of synthesizing proteins using the information in RNA.

Frameshift Mutation

Mutations caused by inserting or deleting a nucleotide, resulting in a shift in the reading frame.

Degenerate Code

A characteristic of the genetic code where a particular amino acid can be specified by more than one nucleotide triplet.

mRNA

Messenger RNA that is translated into a protein.

tRNA

Transfer RNA molecules that serve as intermediaries, bringing amino acids to the ribosome.

rRNA

Ribosomal RNA, an integral component of the ribosome.

Poly(A) Tail

A long stretch of adenines added to the 3' end of eukaryotic mRNAs, which protects mRNA from degradation.

Spliceosome

A large molecular complex that catalyzes the removal of introns from pre-mRNA.

Promoter

A DNA sequence that initiates transcription by RNA polymerase.

C-Terminal Domain (CTD)

A domain of RNA polymerase II that coordinates RNA processing events.

5' Cap

A modified nucleotide that is added to the 5' end of eukaryotic mRNAs for stability and ribosome recognition.

Alternative Splicing

A process that allows a single gene to produce multiple protein products by splicing pre-mRNA in different ways.