Vocab chp 15
Here's a concise explanation of each term:
Operator: A DNA region in prokaryotic operons that controls the access of RNA polymerase to genes.
Operon: A cluster of genes in prokaryotes that are regulated together, typically involved in a related function.
Repressor: A protein that binds to the operator and blocks transcription.
Regulatory Gene: A gene that produces a repressor or activator to regulate the expression of another gene.
Corepressor: A molecule that binds to a repressor, enhancing its ability to inhibit transcription.
Inducer: A molecule that binds to a repressor, preventing it from binding to the operator and allowing gene transcription.
Activator: A protein that increases the transcription of a gene by binding to its regulatory region.
Differential Gene Expression: The process by which different genes are expressed in different cells, leading to cell differentiation.
Histone Acetylation: The addition of acetyl groups to histones, relaxing chromatin and increasing gene expression.
DNA Methylation: The addition of methyl groups to DNA, typically silencing gene expression.
Epigenetic Inheritance: The transmission of gene expression patterns through generations without changes in the underlying DNA sequence.
Control Elements: DNA sequences that regulate gene expression by interacting with transcription factors.
Enhancers: DNA sequences that increase the rate of transcription by attracting transcription factors.
Alternative RNA Splicing: A process by which different combinations of exons are spliced together, allowing one gene to produce multiple mRNA variants.
microRNAs (miRNA): Small RNA molecules that regulate gene expression by binding to mRNA and preventing its translation.
Small Interfering RNAs (siRNA): Small RNA molecules that promote the degradation of mRNA or inhibit its translation.
Nucleic Acid Hybridization: The process of combining complementary strands of nucleic acids.
Nucleic Acid Probe: A labeled single-stranded nucleic acid used to detect complementary sequences in DNA or RNA.
In Situ Hybridization: A technique used to detect specific nucleic acid sequences within cells or tissues.
Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR): A technique that converts RNA into complementary DNA (cDNA) and amplifies it to study gene expression.
Complementary DNA (cDNA): DNA synthesized from an RNA template by reverse transcription.
DNA Microarray Assays: A technique used to measure the expression of many genes simultaneously.
Model Organisms: Organisms that are used to study biological processes and that are easily manipulated in laboratory settings.
Differentiation: The process by which cells become specialized in structure and function.
Morphogenesis: The process by which cells and tissues develop into specific structures during embryonic development.
Homeotic Genes: Genes that control the development of body structures in specific regions of the embryo.
Stem Cells: Undifferentiated cells capable of differentiating into various specialized cell types.
Totipotent: Stem cells that have the potential to differentiate into any cell type, including the entire organism.
Pluripotent: Stem cells that can differentiate into any cell type but cannot form an entire organism.
Virus: A microscopic infectious agent that requires a host cell to replicate.
Capsid: The protein shell of a virus that encases its genetic material.
Viral Envelope: A lipid bilayer membrane that surrounds some viruses, derived from the host cell membrane.
Phages: Viruses that infect bacteria.
Lytic Cycle: A viral replication cycle in which the host cell is destroyed after virus production.
Virulent Phage: A phage that only follows the lytic cycle and kills the host cell.
Lysogenic Cycle: A viral replication cycle where the virus integrates into the host's genome and can remain dormant.
Prophage: A phage genome integrated into the bacterial host genome during the lysogenic cycle.
Restriction Enzymes: Proteins that cut DNA at specific sequences, used by bacteria as a defense mechanism against viruses.
Retroviruses: Viruses that use reverse transcriptase to convert their RNA genome into DNA.
Reverse Transcriptase: An enzyme used by retroviruses to synthesize DNA from RNA.
Genomics: The study of the structure, function, evolution, and mapping of genomes.
Bioinformatics: The use of computational tools to analyze and interpret biological data, especially genomic data.
Transposable Elements: DNA sequences that can move or "transpose" to different locations within the genome.
Short Tandem Repeats (STR): Repeated sequences of 2-6 base pairs of DNA used in DNA profiling.
Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs): Variations at a single nucleotide position in DNA among individuals.
Homeobox: A DNA sequence found in many genes involved in regulating development, particularly in controlling body plan formation.