Gene Structure and Expression Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts of gene structure, transcription, translation, and RNA processing grounded in the week 2 study guide.

Transcription

The process in which a gene (DNA) is transcribed by RNA polymerase to make an RNA molecule.

Translation

The process in which an mRNA molecule is translated by ribosomes to make a peptide (polypeptide, protein).

Sigma factor

A transcription factor component that is only found in bacteria.

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases

Specific enzymes—a particular one for each tRNA—that covalently attach the appropriate amino acid to the particular tRNA that carries it to the ribosome.

RNA polymerase

The enzyme that transcribes a gene (DNA) to make an RNA molecule.

Ribosomes

Cellular structures that translate an mRNA molecule to make a peptide (polypeptide, protein).

Genetic code

The (near) universal language used by every organism on the planet, with only the slightest "accent" depending on the organism.

Non-translated RNA

RNA molecules transcribed from genes that are not translated into proteins, such as tRNA and rRNA.

Regulatory DNA

DNA that helps to regulate transcription, including the promoter, transcription factor binding sites, enhancers, and repressors.

mRNA Processing

The conversion of a primary transcript into a mature mRNA, including $5'$ capping, introns removal, and polyadenylation.

Amino acids

Building blocks synthesized by enzymes in the cytoplasm or imported into the cytoplasm from outside the cell (or an organelle like the mitochondrion).

DNA strand transcription

Transcription occurring at multiple sites on a chromosome where sections of both strands of a DNA double helix are transcribed, rather than one strand exclusively or in its entirety.