Chapter 12: Central Dogma of Molecular Biology

Flashcards covering key concepts related to the Central Dogma of Molecular Biology, gene structure, and processes involved in transcription and RNA modification.

Central Dogma

The framework explaining how information flows in biological systems, specifically the processes of transcription and translation.

Gene Expression

The process by which the information in a gene is used to make a functional product, such as protein or RNA.

DNA Replication

The process of making DNA copies that are transmitted from cell to cell and from parent to offspring.

Transcription

The process of copying DNA information into RNA, involving the synthesis of a temporary RNA copy of a gene.

Messenger RNA (mRNA)

A temporary copy of a gene that contains information to make a polypeptide.

Polypeptide

A chain of amino acids that becomes part of a functional protein contributing to an organism's traits.

RNA Structure

Similar to DNA, but RNA has a ribose sugar, uracil instead of thymine, and is typically single-stranded.

Initiation of Transcription

The phase where RNA polymerase binds to the promoter and unwinds the DNA to start RNA synthesis.

Elongation of Transcription

The phase where RNA polymerase synthesizes RNA by adding nucleotides 3' to 5' along the template strand.

Termination of Transcription

The phase where the RNA transcript is completed, and RNA polymerase dissociates from the DNA.

Regulatory Elements

Sites for binding of proteins that influence the rate of transcription, can be near or far from the gene.

Promoter

The DNA sequence where RNA polymerase binds to initiate transcription.

Transcription Factors

Proteins that regulate the transcription of genes by binding to nearby DNA.

Rho-dependent Termination

A type of transcription termination that requires the Rho protein to dissociate RNA polymerase from the RNA transcript.

Introns

Non-coding sequences in a gene that are removed during the process of RNA splicing.

Exons

Coding sequences in genes that are spliced together to form the final mRNA product.

Alternative Splicing

The process by which different combinations of exons are joined together to produce multiple mature mRNA variants from a single gene.