Life 102 Exam Four Review Flashcards

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts from the Life 102 Exam Four material.

Nucleotide

The basic structural unit of DNA and RNA, consisting of a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

Semiconservative replication

A type of DNA replication in which each new DNA molecule consists of one original strand and one new strand.

Okazaki fragments

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

Anticodon

A sequence of three nucleotides in a tRNA molecule that is complementary to a corresponding codon in mRNA.

Promoter

A specific region of a gene where RNA polymerase binds to initiate transcription.

Splicing

The process of removing introns from pre-mRNA and joining exons together to form mature mRNA.

Transcription

The process of synthesizing RNA from a DNA template.

Retrovirus

A type of virus that reverse transcribes its RNA into DNA, which then integrates into the host genome.

Genetic engineering

The manipulation of an organism's DNA to alter its characteristics or produce new traits.

Ligase

An enzyme that connects two fragments of DNA or RNA by forming a phosphodiester bond.

Virus

A small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of an organism.

Frameshift mutation

A mutation that results from the insertion or deletion of a nucleotide, altering the reading frame of the genetic code.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

A technique used to amplify a specific DNA segment, generating millions of copies from a small sample.

tRNA (transfer RNA)

A type of RNA molecule that helps translate mRNA into a protein by carrying specific amino acids to the ribosome.

Amino acids

The building blocks of proteins, linked together by peptide bonds during translation.

Binding affinity

The strength of the interaction between a receptor and its ligand, such as a virus and its host cell.

Mutation

A change in the DNA sequence that can lead to variations within a population.

Ribosome

Complexes of RNA and protein that synthesize proteins by translating mRNA.

DNA gyrase

An enzyme that relieves the strain ahead of the replication fork during DNA replication.

Clone

A genetically identical copy of a cell or organism.