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MOLECULAR GENETICS
Vocabulary Goal 11
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Central Dogma (of genetics) | the idea that certain portions of DNA code for different proteins through the processes of transcription and translation |
| Protein Folding | the chemical process by which a protein takes its intended form |
| Primary | order of amino acids in a protein |
| Secondary | alpha helix or beta pleated sheet folding as amino acid chain emerges from the ribosome |
| Tertiary | folding of the alpha helix or beta pleated sheet to protect hydrophobic sections, expose hydrophilic sections, and formation of di-sulfide bridges |
| Quaternary | a complex of two or more tertiary proteins |
| Transcription | a part of protein synthesis in which a portion of DNA is used to form messenger RNA. (The first process in protein synthesis.) |
| Translation | a portion of protein synthesis in which messenger RNA is used to link together amino acids into full sized proteins. (The second process in protein synthesis) |
| Replication | the process by which a strand of DNA is duplicated into an identical copy; often in preparation for cellular division |
| Codon | a sequence of three nitrogenous bases that corresponds to a specific amino acid |
| Amino Acid | the building block (monomer) of a protein |
| DNA | deoxyribonucleic acid, molecule that carries genetic information for nearly all organisms |
| RNA | ribonucleic acid, a molecule present in most living cells that helps in the process of protein synthesis |
| Substitution | a mutation occurring in nucleic acids in which one nitrogenous base is "swapped" for another |
| Frameshift | occurring in nucleic acids, mutations that cause all bases that follow the mutation to no longer match up (examples are deletions and insertions). |
| Deletion | a mutation occurring in nucleic acids in which one nitrogenous base is removed from a sequence of bases |
| Insertion | a mutation occurring in nucleic acids in which a nitrogenous base is added into a sequence of bases |
| Enzyme | a type of protein present in all cells that helps to act as a biological catalyst for cellular reactions |
| Active Site | a region, located on an enzyme, that helps the enzyme bind to a protein or other cellular structure |
| Substrate | the substance on which an enzyme acts |