DNA

Replication

The process by which DNA is copied to produce two identical DNA molecules.

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid, the molecule that carries genetic information.

Central Dogma of Molecular Biology

The theory that information flows from DNA to RNA to Protein.

Ribonucleic acids (RNA)

Nucleic acids that play roles in coding, decoding, regulation, and expression of genes.

Transcription

The process of copying a segment of DNA into RNA.

Translation

The process by which RNA is used to synthesize proteins.

Nucleus

Cellular organelle that houses DNA.

Cytosol

The aqueous component of the cytoplasm where ribosomes are located.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

The stable molecule storing genetic information.

Monomer nucleotide

Basic building block of nucleic acids, consisting of a sugar, phosphate, and nitrogenous base.

Sugar-Deoxyribose

The sugar present in DNA nucleotides.

Pentose

A five-carbon sugar, such as deoxyribose.

Nitrogenous bases

Organic molecules that contain nitrogen and are the building blocks of nucleic acids.

Purines

Nitrogenous bases characterized by a two-ring structure, including adenine (A) and guanine (G).

Pyrimidines

Nitrogenous bases characterized by a single-ring structure, including cytosine (C) and thymine (T).

Double helix

The spiral structure of DNA consisting of two strands.

Phosphate sugar backbone

The structural framework of DNA, composed of alternating sugar and phosphate groups.

Antiparallel

Description of the opposite orientation of the two strands of DNA.

Polymer

A large molecule made up of repeating units, such as nucleotides in DNA.

Base pairs

Pairs of nitrogenous bases in DNA (A with T, G with C) held together by hydrogen bonds.

Griffiths Experiment (1928)

Demonstrated that DNA from dead bacteria could transform living non-disease causing bacteria.

Avery, McCarty, and MacLeod (1952)

Showed that DNA is the genetic material, not protein.

Chargaff's Rule

States that in a DNA molecule, the amount of adenine equals thymine and the amount of cytosine equals guanine.

Wilkins and Franklin

Scientists who used X-ray crystallography to study DNA structure.

Eukaryotic chromosome structure

The structure of chromosomes in eukaryotic cells, which include DNA wrapped around proteins.

Histones

Positively charged proteins around which DNA winds to form nucleosomes.

Nucleosomes

Structures formed by DNA wrapped around histone proteins, resembling beads on a string.

Euchromatin

Less tightly packed form of chromatin, accessible for transcription.

Heterochromatin

More densely packed chromatin, not available for transcription.

Barr body

An inactivated X chromosome in female mammals.

Centromeres

Regions of chromosomes that join sister chromatids.

Telomeres

Repeating DNA sequences at the ends of chromosomes that protect them from degradation.

Interphase

The phase in the cell cycle where the cell is not dividing, and DNA is replicated.

Mitosis

The process of cell division that results in two identical daughter cells.

Phenotype

The observable characteristics of an organism determined by its genotype.

Genotype

The genetic constitution of an organism.

Chromatin

The complex of DNA and protein found in the nucleus.

Transcription factors

Proteins that help to initiate or regulate the transcription of DNA.

RNA polymerase

The enzyme responsible for synthesizing RNA from a DNA template.

Codon

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

Amino acids

Building blocks of proteins, each specified by a codon.

Gene expression

The process by which information from a gene is used to synthesize functional gene products, often proteins.