Gene Mutation and Stem Cells

A set of flashcards covering key concepts related to gene mutations, stem cells, and gene expression, as discussed in the lecture notes.

Gene Mutation

A change in the DNA sequence that can lead to a change in the mRNA sequence and subsequently the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide.

Mutagenic agents

Agents that increase the rate of gene mutations during DNA replication.

Substitution Mutation

A type of gene mutation where one base is substituted for another, which can result in silent, nonsense, or missense mutations.

Frameshift Mutation

A mutation caused by the insertion or deletion of a base that shifts the triplet reading frame.

Silent Mutation

A base substitution that codes for the same amino acid, causing no impact on the protein.

Nonsense Mutation

A base substitution that results in a premature STOP codon, truncating the protein.

Missense Mutation

A base substitution that codes for a different amino acid, potentially altering the protein's structure and function.

Totipotent Stem Cells

Stem cells that can differentiate into any cell type, found in early embryos.

Pluripotent Stem Cells

Stem cells that can differentiate into many different cell types, derived from the inner cell mass of the embryo.

Multipotent Stem Cells

Stem cells that can differentiate into a limited range of cell types, such as those found in adult tissues like bone marrow.

Induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) Cells

Adult cells that have been genetically reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell-like state.

Epigenetics

Heritable changes in gene function that do not involve changes to the underlying DNA sequence.

Acetylation of Histones

The addition of acetyl groups to histones, making DNA less tightly packed and increasing transcriptional activity.

Methylation of DNA

The addition of methyl groups to DNA, which typically represses gene expression by preventing transcription factor binding.

Oestrogen

A steroid hormone that activates transcription factors and initiates gene expression by binding to specific receptors.

Transcription Factors

Proteins that regulate the transcription of genes by binding to specific DNA sequences.

Epigenome

The collection of chemical changes to the DNA and histones that affect gene expression without altering the DNA sequence.

Chromatin

The complex of DNA and proteins (histones) that condense to form chromosomes; its structure influences gene expression.