Mobile genetic elements
________ include transposons, which move within a single cell (and its descendants), plus those viruses whose genomes can integrate into the genomes of their host cells.
DNA Replication
The biological process of producing two identical replicas of DNA from the original DNA molecule.
Mutation
A permanent change in the DNA that occurs when the cell's DNA maintenance fails.
Low mutation rates
Mutation rates that are necessary for life, as an increase in mutation frequency can lead to the incidence of cancer.
DNA polymerase
Enzyme responsible for the formation of new DNA chains during DNA replication.
Watson and Crick
Scientists who proposed the double helical structure for DNA and the semi-conservative DNA replication scheme.
Semi-conservative DNA replication
The proposed scheme for DNA replication where the two strands of DNA separate and act as a template for the synthesis of new complementary strands.
Unwinding of the DNA
The process of separating the two strands of DNA during DNA replication.
Helicase
Enzyme responsible for unwinding the DNA during DNA replication.
DNA Repair
The set of processes that corrects spontaneous changes in DNA to maintain its integrity.
Homologous recombination
The exchange of DNA strands between homologous chromosomes during genetic recombination.
DNA Base-pairing
The process of re-forming the DNA double helix from its separated single strands during homologous recombination.
Transposition
The movement of genetic elements within a genome by either retrotransposition or DNA transposition.
Conservative site-specific recombination
The rearrangement or exchange of DNA segments between specific target sites in the genome without movement to a new genomic location.
DNA Repair Mechanisms
The various processes involved in correcting errors and damages in DNA sequences, including mismatch repair, base excision repair, nucleotide excision repair, double-strand break repair, and homologous recombination.
Epigenetic Modifications
Chemical changes to DNA or associated proteins that affect gene expression without altering the underlying DNA sequence.