AP Biology - DNA Structure, Replication, Transcription, and Translation

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts related to DNA structure, replication, transcription, and translation.

Transformation

Change in genotype and phenotype due to assimilation of foreign substances.

Bacteriophage

A virus that attaches to bacteria and injects DNA, causing the bacteria to create more viruses.

Base Pairing Rules

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

Pyrimidines

Nitrogenous bases with a single-ring structure; includes Cytosine, Uracil (in RNA), and Thymine.

Purines

Nitrogenous bases with a double-ring structure; includes Adenine and Guanine.

Semiconservative Replication

DNA replication where the old strand serves as a template for a new strand, resulting in one new and one old strand.

Origin of Replication

Specific sites on a DNA molecule where replication begins.

Leading Strand

The DNA strand that is continuously synthesized during replication in the 5' to 3' direction.

Lagging Strand

The DNA strand that is synthesized in fragments (Okazaki fragments) during replication in the 5' to 3' direction, away from the replication fork.

Okazaki Fragment

Short segments of DNA synthesized on the lagging strand during DNA replication.

Primer

A short segment of RNA that acts as a connector for polymerase during DNA replication.

DNA Polymerase

Enzyme that adds new nucleotides to a growing DNA strand during replication and replaces primers.

Ligase

Enzyme that joins Okazaki fragments on the lagging strand.

Helicase

Enzyme that separates DNA strands during replication.

Topoisomerase

Enzyme that corrects overwinding of DNA ahead of the replication fork by breaking, swiveling, and rejoining DNA strands.

Single-Strand Binding Proteins

Proteins that keep parent DNA strands separated during replication.

Telomere

Short DNA segments that replace primers at the end of DNA strands.

Telomerase

Enzyme that adds telomeres to the ends of DNA strands.

Central Dogma of Biology

The flow of genetic information: DNA -> RNA -> Protein.

mRNA

Messenger RNA; a short copy of DNA that is transcribed from the template strand of DNA.

Promoter

Starting point for transcription; includes the binding site for RNA polymerase.

Introns

Noncoding segments of DNA that are located between coding regions (exons).

Exons

Coding regions of DNA that get translated into proteins.

RNA Splicing

Process where introns are removed from RNA and exons are joined together.

Alternative RNA Splicing

A process that allows more than one protein to be produced per gene; introns can become exons and vice versa.

Translation

Process where ribosomes read mRNA to synthesize a protein.

tRNA

Transfer RNA; transfers amino acids from the cytoplasm to the ribosome for protein synthesis.

Codon

A sequence of three base pairs on mRNA that codes for a specific amino acid.

Anticodon

A sequence of three base pairs on tRNA that matches a codon on mRNA.

Point Mutation

A chemical change in one base pair of a gene.

Base-pair Substitution

A single base pair is switched for another in the DNA sequence.

Silent Mutation

A mutation that does not change the amino acid coded for, resulting in no change to the protein.

Missense Mutation

A mutation that changes the amino acid being coded for.