Term | Definition |
Nucleotides | the small units, or monomers, that make up DNA |
Double Helix | model, in which two strands of DNA wind around each other like a twisted ladder. |
Base Pairing Rules | thymine always pairs with adenine, and cytosine always pairs with guanine. |
Replication | process by which DNA is copied during the cell cycle. |
DNA Polymerases | group of enzymes that bond the new nucleotides together. |
Central Dogma | theory that states that, in cells, information only flows from DNA to RNA to proteins. |
RNA | nucleic acid molecule that allows for the transmission of genetic information and protein synthesis. |
Transcription | the process of copying a sequence of DNA to produce a complementary strand of DNA. |
RNA Polymerases | enzymes that bond nucleotides together in a chain to make a new RNA molecule. |
Messenger RNA (mRNA) | is an intermediate message that is translated to form a protein. |
Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) | forms part of ribosomes, a cell's protein factories. |
Transfer RNA (tRNA) | brings amino acids from the cytoplasm to a ribosome to help make the growing protein. |
Translation | the process that converts, or translates, an mRNA message into a polypeptide. |
Codon | is a three-nucleotide sequence that codes for amino acid. |
Stop Codons | signal the end of the amino acid chain. |
Start Codon | signals the start of translation and the amino acid methionine. |
Anticodon | set of three nucleotides that is complementary to an mRNA codon. |