IB Bio terms: A1.2 Nucleic Acids

Genetics

The study of heredity and variation in organisms, focusing on how traits are passed from parents to offspring through genes.

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

The molecule that carries genetic information in the cells of living organisms, composed of two strands forming a double helix structure.

RNA

A nucleic acid involved in protein synthesis, existing in several forms such as mRNA, tRNA, and rRNA.

Nucleotides

The building blocks of nucleic acids, consisting of a sugar, phosphate group, and nitrogenous base. Nucleotides link together to form DNA and RNA.

Phosphate

A component of nucleotides that, along with a sugar and a nitrogenous base, makes up the building blocks of nucleic acids like DNA and RNA.

Deoxyribose

The sugar component of DNA nucleotides, which lacks one oxygen atom compared to ribose. It is crucial for the formation of the DNA backbone.

Ribose

Nitrogen Base

One of the three components of nucleotides, nitrogen bases are the molecules that encode genetic information in nucleic acids, including adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine in DNA, and adenine, uracil, cytosine, and guanine in RNA.

Genetic Code

The set of rules by which information encoded in genetic material is translated into proteins. It dictates how sequences of nucleotides correspond to specific amino acids.

Polymer

A large molecule composed of repeating structural units called monomers, commonly found in nucleic acids and proteins.

Condensation Reaction

Complementary Base Pair

Polynucleotide

Anti parallel

DNA Replication

Gene Expression

Virus

Homeostasis

Metabolism

Purines

Pyrimidines

Nucleosome

Histones

Tetranucleotide Hypothesis

Radioisotope

5’ to 3’

Chargaff’s Rule

Induction

Falsification