Unit 8 - Protein Synthesis and Gene Expression

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and definitions related to protein synthesis, gene expression, and mutations.

DNA

The long-term storage molecule for information in a cell.

RNA

Multiple types of short-term tools that aid the process of expressing DNA.

Protein

An extremely versatile type of chemical that can fill many roles such as energy, storage, structural building blocks, and as enzymes to control chemical reactions.

Polypeptide

A long chain polymer that is crucial for proper function in proteins.

Amino Acids

The building blocks of proteins, differing from nucleotides found in DNA/RNA.

Transcription

The process of creating an RNA copy of a region of DNA.

Translation

The process of using the RNA copy as a guide to build the proper protein.

mRNA

Messenger RNA that serves as the intermediate step between DNA and protein.

RNA Polymerase

The enzyme responsible for making an RNA copy during transcription.

Codon

A sequence of three nucleotides in RNA that correspond to a specific amino acid.

Mutations

Changes to the DNA sequence that can affect mRNA and potentially alter the resulting protein.

Point Mutation

A mutation affecting a small number of nucleotides in the DNA.

Nonsense Mutation

A point mutation that results in a non-functioning protein.

Frame-shift Mutation

A mutation caused by insertion or deletion that shifts the reading frame of codons.

Chromosomal Mutation

Mutations occurring at a larger scale that can affect the structure of chromosomes.

Aneuploidy

The presence of an abnormal number of chromosomes in a cell.

Epigenetics

Regulatory effects that occur on top of the DNA that is actually present, affecting gene expression.