Nucleic Acids and DNA Replication

Flashcards for reviewing key concepts related to nucleic acids and DNA replication.

DNA

The genetic material of all living organisms, composed of nucleotides.

RNA

A nucleic acid containing adenine, guanine, cytosine, and uracil, single-stranded.

Nucleotide

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

Nitrogenous Bases in DNA

Thymine (T), Adenine (A), Guanine (G), Cytosine (C).

Nitrogenous Bases in RNA

Adenine (A), Guanine (G), Cytosine (C), Uracil (U).

Complementary Base Pairing

Hydrogen bonding between specific nitrogenous bases: A with T, and G with C.

Double Helix

The structure of DNA consisting of two antiparallel strands of nucleotides.

Replication Fork

The site at which DNA replication is occurring, where the two strands separate.

Okazaki Fragments

Short lengths of new DNA strands synthesized on the lagging strand during DNA replication.

Semi-Conservative Replication

The process where each new DNA molecule contains one original strand and one new strand.

Gel Electrophoresis

A technique used to separate DNA fragments based on size by applying an electric field.

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

A method used to amplify specific segments of DNA, involving heating, annealing, and elongation.

Short Tandem Repeats (STRs)

DNA sequences of 2-7 bases that repeat consecutively; used for DNA profiling.

Bacteriophage

A virus that infects and injects genetic material into bacteria.

DNA Polymerase III

An enzyme that adds nucleotides to a growing DNA strand and proofreads for errors.

DNA Ligase

An enzyme that connects gaps in the lagging strand during DNA replication.

Histone Proteins

Proteins around which DNA is wrapped to form nucleosomes, aiding in packaging DNA into chromosomes.

Hydrogen Bonds

Weak interactions that hold complementary nitrogenous bases together in the DNA structure.

Taq Polymerase

A heat-stable enzyme used in PCR to synthesize DNA at high temperatures.

Replication Strand Direction

DNA and RNA synthesis occur in the 5’ to 3’ direction.

Chargaff's Rules

The observation that in DNA, the amount of adenine equals thymine and the amount of cytosine equals guanine.