Exam Study Notes

RNA

• Nucleic acid molecule for genetic information transmission and protein synthesis.
• Ribosomal RNA (rRNA): Guides mRNA translation into protein; used as a molecular clock.
• Messenger RNA (mRNA): Carries genetic information from nucleus to cytoplasm for protein synthesis.

Nucleotides

• Monomer forming DNA with a phosphate group, sugar, and nitrogen base.

Replication

• Process by which DNA is copied.

Transcription

• Copying a DNA nucleotide sequence to form a complementary mRNA strand.

Translation

• mRNA decoding process resulting in protein production.

Genetic Engineering

• Process of changing an organism's DNA to give new traits.
• May reduce genetic diversity.

Biotechnology

• Use and application of living things and biological processes.

Stem Cell

• Cell that divides for long periods, remaining undifferentiated.

Theory of Evolution

• Supported by the fossil record, comparative anatomy (homologous structures), comparative embryology, biogeography, and molecular biology.
• Contributors: Darwin, Lamarck, Lyell, Malthus, Mendel, and Wallace.

Natural Selection

• Requires competition for food, overproduction of offspring, heredity of traits, and variation within a species.

Evolutionary Change Mechanisms

• Include gene flow, genetic drift, and nonrandom mating.
  • Gene flow: Introduces genes from another population.
  • Genetic drift: Affects trait frequency in a population over time.
  • Nonrandom mating: Only certain traits passed on.

Genetic Variation

• Mutation: Introduces new traits and genes.
• Recombination: Offspring differ from parents by combining alleles during sexual reproduction.