Biotech general terms

Plasma Membrane

A thin membrane around the cytoplasm of a cell

Phospholipids

A molecule that is a constituent of the inner bilayer of biological membranes, having a polar, hydrophilic head and a nonpolar, hydrophobic tail

Cholesterol

A type of fat made by the body from saturated fat; a minor part of fat in foods

Lipid Bilayer

Double-layered sheet that forms the core of all cell membranes made of phospholipids

Integral Peripheral Protein

penetrate the peripheral regions of the lipid bilayer

Cytoplasm

A jellylike fluid around the inside the cell in which the organelles are suspended

Mitochondria

An organelle found in large numbers in most cells, in which the biochemical processes of respiration and energy production occur

Ribosomes

A cell organelle constructed in the nucleolus and functioning as the site of protein synthesis in the cytoplasm; consists of rRNA and protein molecules, which make up two subunits

Smooth ER

Is ER that does not have ribosomes attached, major site of lipid synthesis

Rough ER

ER that is dotted with ribosomes

Golgi Complex

organelle that modifies, packages, and transports material out of the cell

Lysosomes

An organelle containing digestive enzymes

Cytoskeleton

A network of long protein strands in the cytosol that helps support the cell

Nucleus

Control center of the cell that contains the DNA

Nucleolus

a small round body of protein in a cell nucleus

Hydrophobic

molecules that are afraid of water

Hydrophilic

molecules that are attracted to water

Glycerol

A small molecule that forms the head region of a triglyceride fat molecule

Triglyceride

a lipid formed with fatty acids and glycerol

Saturated

Fats with the maximum number of hydrogens

Unsaturated

Fat with less than the maximum number of hydrogens in one or more of its fatty acid chains

Monounsaturated

A fatty acid whose molecular structure includes only one double carbon bond

Polyunsaturated

2 or more double bond

Hydrogenation

Adding hydrogen gas to an unsaturated fat to increase shelf life, turns it into trans fat

Elongation

following cycle is repeated again and again, elongating the polypeptide by 1 amino acid per cycle

Transformation

genetic alteration of a cell resulting from the direct uptake and incorporation of exogenous DNA from its surroundings and taken up through the cell membrane

Replicon

A region of DNA controlled by a single origin of replication

Replication Bubble

a region of DNA, in front of the replication fork, where helicase has unwound the double helix

Helicase

An enzyme that untwists the double helix of DNA at the replication forks, separating the two strands and making them available as template strands.

SSBP

single stranded binding proteins that help keep the DNA uncoiled

Topoisomerase

A protein that functions in DNA replication, helping to relieve strain in the double helix ahead of the replication fork

Gyrase

type of topoisomerase

DNA Polymerase III

An enzyme that catalyzes the elongation of new DNA at a replication fork by the addition of nucleotides to the existing chain.

DNA Polymerase I

Enzyme that removes RNA primers and replaces them with the appropriate nucleotides during DNA replication, also "proofreads" the new DNA

RNA Primer

short segment of RNA used to initiate synthesis of a new strand of DNA during replicatio

RNA Primase

An enzyme that creates an RNA primer for initiation of DNA replication

Replication Fork

The Y-shaped region that results when the two strands separate

Leading Strand (continuous)

Continuous Synthesis

Lagging Strand (discontinuous)

Discontinuous Synthesis

Ampicillin

antibiotic

pAMP

plasmid that has the Ampicillin resistant gene

pGREEN

plasmid with ampicillin resistance and GFP gene

Okazaki Fragments

Short fragments of DNA that are a result of the synthesis of the lagging strand during DNA replication

Initiation

beginning of replication

Ori (Origins of Replication)

particular sequence in a genome at which replication is initiated

Teri (Termination)

end of DNA replication

Template Strand (Parent Strand)

the original DNA strand

Newly Found Strand (Daughter Strand)

made by the addition of a nucleotide that is complementary to the parent strand

Complementary Base Pairing

Hydrogen bonding between particular pyrimidines and purines; Adenine & Thymine, Cytosine & Guanine

DNA Ligase

A linking enzyme essential for DNA replication; catalyzes the covalent bonding of the 3' to 5' end of a growing chain, seals the phosphodiester bonds

Semi-Conservative

in each new DNA double helix, one strand is from the original molecule, and one strand is new

Telomeres

Made of repeating nucleotides that do not form genes at the tips of chromosomes

Telomerase

An enzyme that catalyzes the lengthening of telomeres in eukaryotic germ cells

Sliding Clamp

Holds DNA polymerase in place during strand extension

Monomer

A simple compound whose molecules can join together to form polymers

Polymer

A long molecule consisting of many similar or identical monomers linked together

Protein

A three dimensional polymer made of monomers of amino acids; uses a lot of hydrogen bonding

Polypeptide

A chain of amino acids

Amino Acids

Building blocks of protein

Condensation

A chemical reaction in which the joining of two organic compounds results in the production and release of water

Hydrolysis

A chemical reaction in which the joining of two organic compounds results in the production and addition of water

N-Terminus

The end of a polypeptide or protein that has a free amino group which has a nitrogen

C-Terminus

The end of a polypeptide or protein that has a free carboxyl group.

Peptide Chain

a chain of amino acids joined by peptide bonds which forms a protein

Tertiary Structure

structure of the peptide chain

R Group- Residue

where a general amino acid is placed

Peptide Bond

The chemical bond that forms between the carboxyl group of one amino acid and the amino group of another amino acid

Alpha Helix

A spiral shape constituting one form of the secondary structure of proteins, arising from a specific hydrogen-bonding structure

Beta Sheet

One form of the secondary structure of proteins in which the polypeptide chain folds back and forth, or where two regions of the chain lie parallel to each other and are held together by hydrogen bonds.

Random Coils

Linkage of secondary structures in large proteins

Covalent Bonds

Bonds created by sharing electrons with other atoms, part of the primary structure

Fibrous Protein

Insoluble in water and their polypeptide chains form long strands that are parallel to each other

Cysteine

covalent bond that creates the salt bridges

Primary Structure

determines which amino acids are chosen and the sequence

Secondary Structure

both examples of hydrogen between the backbone of amino groups

Tertiary Structure

interaction of residues following the laws of chemistry

Quaternary Structure

multiple polypeptide chains working together

DNA

deoxyribonucleic acid, carries hereditary information

Charles Darwin

Started the idea of a molecule that carries our genetics from generation to generation, "The Origins of Species"

Friedrich Miesher

Using pus from old bandages, he discovered proteins and the acid in the nucleus (nucleic acid)

Frederick Griffith

experimented with mice and pneumonia to find a "transforming principle"

Oswald Avery

worked with catalyst enzymes to show that the transforming principle was DNA

Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase

used viruses and bacteriophages to show that DNA was the hereditary material (blender)

Virus

organized associations of nucleic acid contained within a protective shell of protein units

Erwin Chargraff

founded the complementary based pairings

Watson and Crick

American ornithologist and British physicist who discovered the structure of DNA of a double helix that were joined by pairs of molecules

Maurice Wilkins

research contributed to the scientific understanding of phosphorescence, isotope separation, optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction, and to the development of radar; gave Rosalind Franklin the job

Linus Pauling

using X-ray diffraction, said that DNA was a triple helix- wrong but led to Watson and Crick's discovery, one of the first people to use a model

Rosalind Franklin

English Chemist who worked with X-ray diffraction to create photographs of DNA

Photo 51

photo taken of the top of DNA that led to Watson and Crick's discovery of the shape

Transformation

genetic engineering

Recombinant DNA

DNA produced by combining DNA from different sources

Plasmid

circular piece of DNA

Vector

organism that does not cause disease itself but which spreads infection by conveying pathogens from one host to another

Competent Cells

cells that can be transformed by exogenous DNA

Marker Genes

enables us to select only the transformed cells

Reporter Genes

visually determines that the gene is turned on

Transformants

Cells that receive genetic material through transformation

Lawn

A dense growth of bacteria that covers the surface of a petri dish.

Sticky Ends

produces a single strand of a few bases that will only complementary base pair that used the same restriction enzyme