DNA and Protein Synthesis (full list)

Deoxyribose

Sugar that helps make up the backbone of DNA

Ribose sugar

Sugar that helps make up the backbone of RNA

Adenine

base found in DNA and RNA that pairs with thymine or uracil

Thymine

base found in DNA only; pairs with adenine

Cytosine

base found in DNA and RNA that pairs with guanine

Guanine

base found in DNA and RNA that pairs with cytosine

Uracil

base found in RNA only; pairs with adenine

Transcription

process of making a strand of RNA from a DNA template

Translation

process of using mRNA as a template to put together amino acids to form a protein

Codon

group of three bases in an mRNA molecule that serves as a code for a particular amino acid

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)

molecule that stores and transmits genetic information and controls the functioning of cells

Ribonucleic Acid (RNA)

molecules that relay information about protein synthesis from the DNA to the ribosomes.

RNA Polymerase

Enzyme that links RNA nucleotides together to make mRNA

DNA Polymerase

Enzyme that pairs up complementary DNA bases in DNA replication

Transfer RNA (tRNA)

type of RNA that carries amino acids to the ribosome

Messenger RNA (mRNA)

type of RNA that carries instructions from DNA to the ribosome

Anticodon

group of three bases on a tRNA molecule that are complementary to an mRNA codon

Genome

all of an organism's genetic material

Helicase

Enzyme that “unzips” the DNA molecules

Gene

Segment of DNA on a chromosome that codes for a specific trait

Chromosome

Rod-shaped structure that carries genetic information from one generation to the next

Double helix

the shape of DNA that resembles a spiral staircase or a twisted ladder

hydrogen bond

Type of bond found between the bases that connect together across the center of a DNA molecule

base sequence

the order of bases on a chain of DNA

amino acids

building blocks of proteins

ribosomes

Part of the cell where proteins are made

protein synthesis

Process of forming proteins by using information coded in DNA and carried by mRNA

start codon

Sequence of bases in mRNA that shows where translation should begin

stop codons

Sequence of bases in mRNA that do not code for amino acids, but signal for translation to stop

mutation

permanent change in a cell’s DNA sequence

point mutations

mutation that changes just one or a few nucleotides

frameshift mutation

Point mutation that occurs when a base is inserted or deleted, which affects codon groups

Missense mutation

Point mutation that results in a change to a codon for a different amino acid

Nonsense mutation

point mutation that results in a stop codon occurring too early, causing a protein to be too short

Silent mutation

point mutation that changes the codon but does not change the amino acid