Biochemistry Lecture Notes on DNA and Chromatin

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms from the lecture notes on DNA structure, replication, and chromatin organization.

Central Dogma of molecular biology

The framework for understanding the transfer of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein.

DNA Polymerase

An enzyme responsible for synthesizing new DNA strands during DNA replication.

Chromatin

The complex of DNA and protein that forms chromosomes within the nucleus of eukaryotic cells.

Nucleosome

A structural unit of chromatin consisting of a segment of DNA wound around a core of histone proteins.

Supercoiling

The coiling of DNA resulting from overwinding or underwinding, impacting DNA's structural conformation.

Base pairs per helical turn

The number of base pairs that make one complete turn of a DNA helix, typically 10.5 in B-form DNA.

Euchromatin

A lightly packed form of chromatin that is rich in gene concentration and often under active transcription.

Heterochromatin

A tightly packed form of DNA that is transcriptionally inactive.

Histone acetylation

The addition of an acetyl group to histone proteins, impacting gene expression by altering chromatin structure.

Linking number (Lk)

A value that describes the extent of coiling in a DNA molecule, defined as the number of times a single strand of DNA winds around another.