Chapter 9 DNA and RNA Overview

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to DNA and RNA from the chapter notes.

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid, the genetic material passed from parent to offspring for all life.

RNA

Ribonucleic acid, a polymer of nucleotides involved in coding, decoding, regulation, and expression of genes.

Nucleotide

The building block of DNA and RNA, consisting of a sugar, phosphate, and a nitrogenous base.

Double Helix

The twisted structure of DNA formed by two strands.

Base-Pairing

The process where adenine pairs with thymine and guanine pairs with cytosine.

Chargaff's Rule

In DNA, the amount of adenine equals thymine, and the amount of guanine equals cytosine.

Histones

Proteins around which DNA is wrapped to form nucleosomes.

Nucleosome

A segment of DNA wrapped around histone proteins.

DNA Replication

The process by which DNA is copied before a cell divides.

Semiconservative Replication

A model of DNA replication in which each new double strand contains one parental strand and one new strand.

Okazaki Fragments

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

Telomeres

Repetitive sequences at the ends of linear chromosomes that shorten with each cell division.

Transcription

The process of copying a segment of DNA into mRNA.

Translation

The process of synthesizing a protein from the mRNA sequence.

Exons

Protein-coding sequences in RNA that are expressed as part of the final mRNA molecule.

Introns

Non-coding sequences in RNA that are removed during mRNA processing.

Splicing

The process of removing introns from pre-mRNA and connecting exons.