CSI Review

red blood cells

in mammals, in order to maximize how much hemoglobin they carry, the mature ones lack a nucleus so they cannot multiply through cell division (mitosis); instead, they are made from stem cells in red bone marrow

erythrocytes

red blood cells; disc-shaped; contain hemoglobin which picks up oxygen to be delivered throughout body; also removes carbon dioxide from tissues

white blood cells

part of the immune system; helps the body to fight infection

leukocytes

white blood cells; body’s primary defense against infection; can move out of bloodstream and reach tissues being invaded by microbes and foreign bodies

platelet

small colorless blood fragment that collects at sites of injury to begin the clotting process

plasma

pale yellow fluid mixture of water, proteins, and salts that acts as a carrier for blood cells, nutrients, enzymes, and hormones

blood vessel

a tubular structure carrying blood through the tissues and organs; a vein artery or capillary

antigens

proteins located on the surface of red blood cells (determine blood type)

agglutinogens

substances found on the surface of erythrocytes; also called antigens 

antibodies

proteins in plasma that attach to antigens, keeping them from harming the body

agglutinins

substances found in the plasma of blood, also called antibodies

agglutination

the clumping of red blood cells as a result of a reaction to a specific antibody

9-12 pints

the amount of blood found in the body of the average human

blood transfusion

the transfer of whole blood from one individual to another

hemoglobin

a protein in the blood, primarily responsible for carrying oxygen from the lungs to the tissues of the body and carbon dioxide from the tissues of the body to the lungs

hemolysis

the destruction of red blood cells and the release of hemoglobin; can occur when red blood cells that were given during transfusion are destroyed by the person’s immune system

antiserum

contains antibodies for one or more antigens

O-

universal blood donor because this blood type has no antigens on its red blood cells

AB+

universal blood recipient because this blood type has no antibodies in the plasma

heredity

the passing of traits from parent to offspring

genetics

the study of heredity

gene

a unit of heredity transferred from a parent to offspring that determines a characteristic of the offspring; a segment of DNA on a chromosome that codes for a specific trait

30,000

how many genes do humans have?

genetic code

the sequence of nucleotides in DNA or RNA that determines the specific protein synthesis

allele

one of a number of different forms of a gene; pair of genes located on a specific site of a specific chromosome

Punnett square

a model used to predict possible genotypes and phenotypes of offspring

dominant trait

a genetic factor that blocks another genetic factor

recessive trait

a genetic factor that is blocked by the presence of a dominant factor

genotype

an organism’s genetic makeup, or allele combinations

phenotype

an organisms visible traits; the expression of a specific trait in an organism

homozygous

having two identical alleles for a particular gene

heterozygous

having two different alleles for a particular gene

chromosome

a threadlike, gene-carrying structure found in the nucleus; each consists of one very long DNA molecule and associated proteins

mitosis

cell division in which the nucleus divides into nuclei containing the same number of chromosomes

23

how many pairs of chromosomes in a human do humans have?

genome

all the genetic information in an organism; all of the organisms chromosomes

3,000,000,000

how many DNA base pairs are in the human genome (approximately)?

CODIS

combined DNA index system used by law enforcement to identify DNA samples from a crime scene

pedigree

a diagram that shows the occurrence of a genetic trait in sever generations of a family

incomplete dominance

when the offspring’s phenotype is a combination of the parents’ phenotypes

codominance

when both alleles can be observed in a phenotype

polygenic inheritance

when multiple genes determine the phenotype of a trait

DNA

deoxyribonucleic acid, the material that contains the information that determines inherited characteristics. it has a negative charge due to the presence of phosphate groups

double helix

the shape of DNA, resembling a twisted ladder

RNA

a type of nucleic acid that carries the code for making proteins from a nucleus to the cytoplasm

nucleotide 

a building block of DNA consisting of a sugar, a phosphate, and a nitrogenous base (A,T,C,G that forms rungs)

adenine

the base that pairs with Thymine in DNA

thymine

the base that pairs with Adenine in DNA

cytosine

the base that pairs with Guanine with DNA

guanine

the base that pairs with Cytosine in DNA

ATA GCT

what base pair sequence does TAT CGA correspond with?

molecules by size

extra small: nucleotides; small: genes; medium: chromosomes; large: genome

protein

an organic compound that is made of one or more chains of amino acids and that is a principle component of all cells

amino acid

building blocks of protein

enzyme

a protein that facilitates a specific chemical reaction in the body

mutation

a random error in gene replication that leads to a change

replication

the process of DNA molecule to make another DNA molecule

DNA polymerase

enzyme involved in DNA replication that joins individual nucleotides to produce a DNA molecule

DNA profiling

a forensic technique used to identify individuals by characteristics of their DNA

gel electrophoresis

technique for sorting molecules or fragments of molecules by length

non-coding region

region of DNA that does not code instructions to build a protein; also called junk DNA

PCR

(polymerase chain reaction) a method used to rapodly make multiple copies of a specific segment of DNA; can be used to make millions of copies of DNA from a very small amount of DNA

DNA primer

a short DNA sequence that provides a starting point for DNA synthesis

STR

(short tandem repeat) a short sequence of DNA, usual 2-7 nucleotides in length that repeat multiple times in a row; most are found in non-coding regions