Key Concepts from Chapter 9: What Genes Are

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and definitions from Chapter 9 of the biology lecture.

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid, the genetic code of life, composed of two parallel strands of nucleotides.

CRISPR

A genome-editing tool that allows for the addition or deletion of genes, based on a combination of a protein and RNA molecules.

Genome Editing

The process of altering the genetic material of an organism using techniques like CRISPR.

Xenotransplantation

The process of transplanting organs from nonhuman animals into humans.

Nucleotide

The basic building block of DNA, consisting of a sugar, a phosphate group, and one of four bases (A, T, C, G).

Base Pair

Two nucleotides held together by hydrogen bonds, specifically adenine with thymine and cytosine with guanine.

Semiconservative Replication

A type of DNA replication where each new DNA double helix contains one old strand and one new strand.

PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)

A method to amplify small amounts of DNA, making millions of copies in a short time.

Mutation

A change in the nucleotide sequence within an organism's DNA, which can be a point mutation, insertion, or deletion.

DNA Polymerase

An enzyme that synthesizes new DNA strands by adding nucleotides complementary to the template strand.