mRNA
messenger RNA, carries the message from the DNA instructing the ribosome which sequence of amino acids to bond together
tRNA
transfer RNA, brings amino acids to the ribosome
rRNA
ribosomal RNA, part of RNA structure
Transcription
the creation of mRNA using DNA as a template
RNA polymerase
the enzyme that transcribes RNA from DNA
template strand
the strand of DNA that is transcribed, the “pattern
non template strand
the strand of DNA that is not transcribed
RNA splicing
the remove introns and join exons to create mature mRNA molecules
introns
he sections of mRNA molecule removed by RNA processing; do not contain useable code
exons
the remaining sections of mRNA reconnected by processing; contain the instructions for the protein
Poly-A Tail
repeating section of adenine molecules attached to the 3’
end of the mRNA molecule during processing
Translation
the use of mRNA sequence to generate a protein
codons
a series of three bases on the mRNA molecule complementary to the anti-codon on the tRNA molecule (Brenner & Crick)
anti-codons
a series of three bases on the tRNA molecule
complementary to the codon on the mRNA molecule
genetic code
Information for traits contained in the nucleotide
sequence of DNA
Pyrimidine
a one-ring nitrogenous base
• Has one carbon ring
• Cytosine and thymine
Purine
a two-ring nitrogenous base
• Has two carbon rings
• Adenine and guanine
complementary base pairing
a DNA strand which is able to bond to another strand according to the base-pairing rule
A=T
C=G
cell cycle
sequence of cell growth and division that occurs in a cell
between the beginning of one cell division and the beginning of the next cell division
DNA replication
the process by which the DNA code is copied exactly
semi-conservative replication
process of DNA replication that produces one original strand and one newly created strand
Helicase Enzymes
unwind and uncoil the DNA strands
replication forks
sites along DNA where separation and replication occur
Primase
enzyme that makes an RNA primer during DNA replication
• Attach to first exposed bases and lay short sections of RNA
DNA polymerase
the enzymes which bond nucleotides together in DNA replication
Okazaki fragments
a series of short segments of DNA synthesized on the lagging strand during DNA replication
Ligase
enzyme that binds segments of the new DNA strand together
Histone
a small protein that associates with DNA to form a nucleosome
nucleosome
unit of histone proteins and its attached section of DNA
Locus
the location of a gene on a certain chromosome