Help
Options
Didn't know it?
click below
click below
Knew it?
click below
click below
Don't Know
Remaining cards (0)
Know
retry
shuffle
restart
0:00
Embed Code - If you would like this activity on your web page, copy the script below and paste it into your web page.
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Biology F215
Key words & important points.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Gene | A length of DNA coding for one or more polypeptides. |
| Polypeptide | A polymer consisting of a chain of amino acid residues joined by peptide bonds. |
| Genome | The entire DNA sequence of an organism. |
| Protein | A large polypeptide with one or more polypeptide chains. |
| Transcription | Creation of a single stranded mRNA copy of the DNA coding strand. |
| Translation | The assembly of polypeptides at ribosomes. |
| Mutation | A change in the amount of, or arrangement of, the genetic material in a cell. |
| Chromosome Mutations | involve changes to parts of, or whole chromosomes. |
| DNA Mutations | changes to genes due to changes in nucleotide base sequences. |
| Allele | Created when a gene is altered by a change to its base sequence. ->Same locus & codes for same polypeptide, but the alteration could mean the protein has a different structure. ->Translates into a slightly different polypeptide. |
| Phagocytosis | Endocytosis of large, solid molecules into a cell. |
| Operon | A length of DNA, made up of structural genes and control sites. -> Structural genes code for enzymes -> Control sites are a promoter & operator region. |
| Homeobox Genes | control the development of the body plan of an organism, including the polarity and positioning of the organs. |
| Morphogen | A substance governing the pattern of tissue development. |
| Meiosis | A reduction division. Resulting daughter cells are haploid and are used in sexual reproduction. |
| Crossing Over | When lengths of DNA are swapped from one chromatid to another. |
| Maternal/Paternal Chromosomes | The set of chromosomes in an individual's cells that were contributed by the egg/sperm. |
| Different examples of chromosome mutations | 1) Inversion 2) Deletion 3) Translocation (piece of one chromosome becomes attached to another) 4) Non-disjunction (homologous chromosomes fail to separate at meiosis 1/chromatids at meiosis 2) -> Whole set of chromosomes affected -> polyploidy. |
| Co-dominant alleles | Both contribute to the phenotype of a heterozygote. |
| Genotype | The genetic make-up of an organism. |
| Autosomes | Chromosomes NOT concerned with determining sex. |
| Dominant | Describes alleles always expressed in the phenotype. |
| Recessive | Describes alleles only expressed in the presence pf another identical allele or the absence of a dominant allele of the same gene. |
| Linkage | Describes two or more genes located on the same chromosome. Linked alleles are normally inherited together as they do not independently segregate at meiosis, unless chiasmata are formed. -> Linkage reduces number of phenotypes resulting from a cross. |
| Sex Linkage | Describes a characteristic if the gene coding for it is found on one of the sex chromosomes. -> Most animals, small Y chromosome has few genes -> most sex linked genes are found on the X chromosome. |
| Structure in the genotype for two linked alleles compared to two unlinked alleles. | Linked: PLpl Unlinked: PpLl. |
| Epistasis | Interaction of different gene loci so one gene locus MASKS or SUPPRESSES the expression of another gene locus. |
| χ² | A statistical test to find out if the difference between observed and expected data is small enough to be due to chance. |
| Conditions for the χ² test | 1) Sample size must be relatively large 2) only raw counts can be used 3) no zero scores. |
| Gene Pool | The set of genetic information carried by a population. |
| Selection Pressure | An environmental factor that confers greater chances of survival to reporductive age on some members of the population. |
| Biological Species Concept | A group of similar organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring. |
| Phylogenetic Species Concept | A group of organisms that have similar morphology (shape), physiology (biochemistry), embryology (stages of development) and behaviour, and occupy the same ecological niche. |
| Monophyletic Group / Clade | One that includes an ancestral organism and all its descendent species. |
| Vegetative Propagation | The production of structures in an organism that can grow into new individual organisms. These offspring are CLONES of the parent. |
| Biotechnology | Involves the exploitation of living organisms / biological processes for human benefit (Agriculture, animal husbandry, medicine etc.) |
| Primary Metabolites | Substances produced by an organism as part of its natural growth. (Production matches the growth in population of the organism.) (e.g. amino acids, enzymes, nucleic acids) |
| Secondary Metabolites | Substances produced by an organism NOT as part of its natural growth. (Production begins AFTER the main growth period.) (e.g. Antibiotics). |
| Asepsis | The absence of unwanted micro-organisms. |
| Aseptic Technique | A measure taken at any point in a biological process to ensure unwanted organisms do not contaminate the culture being grown / products being extracted. |
| Recombinant DNA | Where DNA fragments from different organisms are joined together through complimentary base annealing and DNA Ligase sealing the sugar-phosphate backbone. |
| Biofortified | describes Golden Rice as it contains higher concentrations of a particular nutrient (in this case, beta carotene). |
| Gene Therapy | Using techniques of molecular genetic technology to treat some genetic disorders. |
| Xenotransplantation | Transplantation of cell tissues or organs between animals of different species. |
| Allotransplantation | Transplantation of cell tissues or organs between animals of the same species. |
| Habitat | The place where an organism lives. |
| Population | All the organisms of one species that live in the same place at the same time, and can interbreed. |
| Community | All the populations of different species that live in the same place at the same time, and can interact with each other. |
| Ecosystem | Any group of living organisms and abiotic factors that occur together, and the interrelationships between them. |
| Niche | The role each species plays in an ecosystem. -> Impossible for two organisms to occupy exactly the same niche. |
| Trophic level | The level at which an organism feeds in a food chain. |
| Gross primary productivity (GPP) | The rate at which plants convert light energy into chemical energy. |
| Net primary productivity (NPP) | The rate of production of new biomass available for consumption by heterotrophs. ->PP - R. |
| Primary Productivity | The amount of energy fixed by photosynthesis. |
| Carrying Capacity | The maximum population size that can be maintained over a period of time in a particular habitat. |
| Conservation | A dynamic process involving the maintenance of biodiversity, and a variety of habitats and ecosystems. Involves management and reclamation. |
| Preservation | protecting areas of land, yet unused by humans, in their 'untouched' form. |
| Tropism | A directional growth in response to an external stimulus. |
| Cerebrum | Responsible for the elements of the nervous system associated with 'being human' - thought, imagination and reasoning. |
| Cerebellum | Controls the co-ordination of movement and posture. |
| Hypothalamus | Controls the autonomic nervous system and endocrine glands. |
| Medulla Oblongata | controls the action of smooth muscle in the gut walls, and controls breathing movements and heart rate. |
| Motor Unit | a cluster of muscle cells. |
| Graduation of response | More motor units stimulated, the greater the force of contraction. |
| Sarcomere | The smallest contractile unit of a muscle. |
| Learned Behaviour | Animals' reponses that change or adapt with experience. |
| Cladistics | The hierarchical classification of organisms, based on their evolutionary ancestry. |
Created by:
Danletch
Popular Biology sets