Biology Vocab Ch 12

Front 1

Mutation

Back 1

change in a DNA sequence that affects genetic information

Front 2

messenger RNA (mRNA)

Back 2

RNA molecule that carries copies of instructions for the assembly of amino acids into proteins from DNA to the rest of the cell

Front 3

ribosomal RNA (rRNA)

Back 3

type of RNA that makes up the major part of ribosomes

Front 4

transfer RNA (tRNA)

Back 4

type of RNA molecule that transfers amino acids to ribosomes during protein synthesis

Front 5

RNA polymerase

Back 5

enzyme similar to DNA polymerase that binds to DNA and separates the DNA strands during transcription

Front 6

Double Helix

Back 6

Double helix refers to the structure of DNA. DNA is composed of two strands of nucleotides, which form bonds with the structure of DNA. DNA is composed of two strands of nucleotides, which form bondeach other as rungs in a ladder. These linked strands then twist around one another to make a helix with two parallel strands.

Front 7

Nucleosome

Back 7

Any of the repeating subunits of chromatin, consisting of a DNA chain coiled around a core of histones

Front 8

Transcription

Back 8

The process by which messenger RNA is synthesized from a DNA template resulting in the transfer of genetic information from the DNA molecule to the messenger RNA.

Front 9

DNA polymerases

Back 9

proteins that synthesize new DNA strands using preexisting DNA strands as templates

Front 10

RNA polymerases

Back 10

enzyme complexes that synthesize RNA molecules using DNA as a template, in the process known as transcription.

Front 11

Exon

Back 11

In split genes, a portion that is included in the ribonucleic acid (RNA) transcript of a gene and survives processing of the RNA in the cell nucleus to become part of a spliced messenger RNA (mRNA) or structural RNA in the cell cytoplasm.

Front 12

RNA

Back 12

which are linear chains (or polymers) of ribonucleotides, perform a number of critical functions. Many of these functions are related to protein synthesis.

Front 13

Introm

Back 13

In split genes, a portion that is included in ribonucleic acid (RNA) transcripts but is removed from within a transcript during RNA processing and is rapidly degraded.

Front 14

Mutagen

Back 14

are molecules whose chemical structure is similar to one of the four DNA bases (adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine). Because of this similarity, they can be incorporated into the helix during DNA replication. A key feature of mutagenic base analogs is that they form base pairs with more than one other base.

Front 15

Translation

Back 15

The code is always read in the 5′ to 3′ direction, using adjacent, non-overlapping three-base units called codons. Since there are four different nucleotides (also called bases) in RNA (abbreviated A, C, G, and U), there are sixty-four (43) different codons, and each codon specifies a particular amino acid.

Front 16

RNA polymerase

Back 16

enzyme complexes that synthesize RNA molecules using DNA as a template, in the process known as transcription.

Front 17

a relatively short fragment of DNA (with an RNA primer at the 5' terminus) created on the lagging strand during DNA replication.

Back 17

a relatively short fragment of DNA (with an RNA primer at the 5' terminus) created on the lagging strand during DNA replication.