Gene Expression and Protein Synthesis

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture on gene expression and protein synthesis.

Gene

A segment of DNA that contains the coding information for a protein or RNA molecule.

Transcription

The process whereby the genetic code from DNA is copied into mRNA.

Translation

The process in which ribosomes use the information in mRNA to synthesize proteins.

Eukaryotic Gene Structure

Includes exons, introns, regulatory sequences, and a promoter region.

Central Dogma

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

Polypeptide

A chain of amino acids that forms a protein.

Introns

Non-coding sequences within a gene that are removed during RNA processing.

Exons

Coding sequences of a gene that are expressed and joined together after introns are removed.

Mutation

A change in the DNA sequence that can result in altered protein function.

Frameshift Mutation

A mutation caused by insertions or deletions of nucleotides that shifts the reading frame.

tRNA (Transfer RNA)

Molecule that carries amino acids to the ribosome during protein synthesis.

Codon

A sequence of three nucleotides in mRNA that codes for a specific amino acid.

RNA Polymerase

The enzyme responsible for synthesizing RNA from a DNA template during transcription.

Promoter

A specific DNA sequence where RNA polymerase binds to initiate transcription.

Polyadenylation Sequence

A sequence at the end of an RNA transcript that signals the addition of a poly(A) tail.

Spliceosome

A complex of proteins and RNA that removes introns from pre-mRNA.

Enhancer

A regulatory DNA sequence that increases gene expression.

Silencer

A regulatory DNA sequence that decreases gene expression.