Genes and Proteins

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary related to genes, proteins, and molecular biology principles as outlined in the lecture notes.

Gene

A segment of DNA that provides instructions for making proteins.

Protein

A molecule made up of amino acids, which performs various functions in the body.

mRNA (Messenger RNA)

RNA that carries information from the DNA to the site of protein synthesis.

Transcription

The process of copying a segment of DNA into RNA.

Translation

The process of synthesizing proteins from the information contained in mRNA.

Central Dogma

The framework describing the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein.

Codon

A group of three nucleotides in mRNA that specifies a particular amino acid.

Amino Acid

The building blocks of proteins, which are specified by codons.

Genotype

The genetic makeup of an organism, determined by its DNA sequence.

Phenotype

The observable traits of an organism, influenced by its genotype.

Null Allele

A type of allele that results in a complete loss of function.

Reverse Transcriptase

An enzyme that synthesizes DNA from an RNA template.

One-gene, one-enzyme hypothesis

The hypothesis stating each gene encodes the information to produce a single enzyme.

Triplet Code

The genetic code that specifies how a sequence of three nucleotides (a codon) corresponds to an amino acid.

Degenerate Code

A characteristic of the genetic code in which multiple codons can specify the same amino acid.

Non-overlapping Code

The property of the genetic code where each nucleotide is part of only one codon.