Chapter 1 - Heritable Material Vocabulary

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on Key Terms and Learning Targets from Chapter 1.

DNA

The hereditary material that stores genetic information stably and allows for accurate copying.

Nucleotide

The structural building block of DNA consisting of a phosphate group, deoxyribose, and a nitrogenous base.

Phosphate group

A structural component of a nucleotide alongside deoxyribose and a nitrogenous base.

Deoxyribose

The sugar component found in the structure of a DNA nucleotide.

Nitrogenous base

A component of a nucleotide that can be a purine or pyrimidine and takes part in complementary base pairing.

Purine

A category of nitrogenous base in DNA that pairs with a pyrimidine.

Pyrimidine

A category of nitrogenous base in DNA that pairs with a purine.

Complementary base pairing

The specific pairing of nitrogenous bases between two complementary strands of DNA.

Antiparallel

The structural orientation of the two complementary strands in a DNA double helix running in opposite directions.

Double helix

The three-dimensional structure formed by two antiparallel strands of DNA.

Heredity

The transmission of heritable material and genetic information from generation to generation.

Genome

The total genetic material and complete DNA sequence of an organism.

Epigenetics

Modifications that can influence gene activity without changing the underlying DNA base sequence.