Term | Definition |
bacterial DNA | one circular chromosome not surrounded by a nucleus, they may also have smaller rings of DNA called plasmids [B] |
DNA (structure) | double sided helix made of nucleotides containing a sugar, phosphate group and a base. Watson, Crick, Wilkins and Franklin contributed [B] |
DNA (as a molecule of heredity) | a variety of experiments determined that DNA, not protein, is the molecule of heredity. Griffith, Avery and Hershey-Chase contributed [B] |
base pairing rule | in DNA, Adenine (A) pairs with Thymine (T) and Guanine (G) pairs with Cytosine (C). In RNA, Uracil (U) is substituted for Thymine.[B] |
transcription (location) | the first step of protein synthesis takes place in the nucleus [B] |
transcription (function) | the first step of protein synthesis converts DNA code to mRNA code (m = messenger) [B] |
translation (location) | the final step of protein synthesis takes place at the ribosomes [B] |
translation (function) | the final step of protein synthesis includes mRNA --> tRNA --> polypeptide chain to eventually form a protein (t = transfer) [B] |
point mutation | addition, deletion or substitution of one base of DNA can result in no change, a different protein, or an incomplete protein [B] |
genetic engineering | general term for manipulation of DNA includes cloning, gel electrophoresis and transformation [B] |
virus | a small infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of a host and is not alive [B] |
DNA vs. RNA | 1) double sided, has the sugar deoxyribose and has the base thymine
2) single sided, has the sugar ribose and the base uracil [B] |
eukaryotic DNA | multiple linear chromosomes located in the nucleus (other DNA can be found in mitochondria and chloroplasts) [BB] |
purines and pyrimidines | 1) bases of DNA including adenine (A) and guanine (G) with a double ring structure
2) bases of DNA including thymine (T), cytosine (C) and uracil (U) with a single ring structure [BB] |
types of RNA | messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and RNA interference (RNAi) [BB] |
gene regulation | the process of switching genes on and off which determines which genes will be expressed at a given time (mechanisms vary between prokaryotes and eukaryotes) [BB] |
gene expression | a gene is expressed if it is currently coding for a protein product (involves regulatory genes, regulatory elements and transcription factors) [BB] |
RNA polymerase | reads the template DNA strand in the 3' to 5' direction and synthesizes complementary mRNA molecules [BB] |
RNA processing | Following transcription, pre-mRNA gains a poly-A tail, a GTP cap and introns are removed in preparation for translation [BB] |
transduction, conjugation and transposition | the horizontal acquisition of genetic material in prokaryotes
1) viral transmission
2) cell-to-cell transfer
3) movement of DNA segments within and between DNA molecules [BB] |
cell differentiation | structural and functional divergence of cells as they become specialized during a multicellular organism's development; dependent on the control of gene expression [BB] |
codon | three-nucleotide sequence of DNA or mRNA that specifies a particular amino acid or termination signal [BB] |
viral replication | duplication of a virus must take place within a host cell [BB] |
retrovirus | an RNA virus that reproduces by transcribing its RNA into DNA which lacks error checking mechanisms, allowing for a high rate of mutation and evolution (example: HIV) [BB] |
DNA fingerprinting | a test to identify and evaluate the genetic information (DNA) in a person's cells [Lab: DNA Fingerprinting] |
restriction endonuclease | an enzyme that recognizes and cuts up DNA (including that of certain phages) that is foreign to a bacterium [Lab: DNA Fingerprinting] |
restriction site | specific sequence on a DNA strand that is recognized as a "cut site" by a restriction endonuclease [Lab: DNA Fingerprinting] |
gel electrophoresis | separation of nucleic acids or proteins, on the basis of their size and electrical charge, by measuring their rate of movement through an electrical field in a gel [Lab: DNA Fingerprinting] |
fragment migration | in gel electrophoresis, short DNA fragments travel quickly and long DNA fragments travel more slowly [Lab: DNA Fingerprinting] |
wells | in gel electrophoresis, indentations in the gel that hold DNA and enzymes [Lab: DNA Fingerprinting] |
micropipette | a device that is used to deliver small volumes of liquid; usually in the range of 0.5 to 1,000 microliters [Lab: DNA Fingerprinting] |
DNA stain | in gel electrophoresis, a dye that causes DNA fragments in gel to become visible [Lab: DNA Fingerprinting] |
transformation | genetic alteration of a cell resulting from the direct uptake and incorporation of DNA (including recombinant DNA) from the surrounding area [Lab: Transformation] |
pGLO | an engineered plasmid which (among other genes) includes the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene that can transform organisms to fluoresce in UV light [Lab: Transformation] |
plasmid | a small ring of DNA that carries accessory genes separate from those of a bacterial chromosome [Lab: Transformation] |
araC | in the pGLO plasmid, a promoter region that regulates the expression of GFP only in the presence of arabinose [Lab: Transformation] |
Bla | in the pGLO plasmid, codes for the enzyme that causes resistance to ampicillin [Lab: Transformation] |
ori | in the pGLO plasmid, and other plasmid, the is origin or starting point of replication [Lab: Transformation] |
GFP | in the pGLO plasmid, codes for the production of the green fluorescent protein which fluoreses under UV light [Lab: Transformation] |
heat shock | brief exposure of bacteria to a hot water bath in order to disrupt the membrane and increase the chance of the uptake of plasmids [Lab: Transformation] |