2D Gene Expression Flashcards
transcription
the process whereby a sequence of DNA is used as a template to produce a complementary sequence of mRNA
precursor messenger RNA
the immediate product of transcription of a DNA sequence, requires modifications before it can undergo translation
translation
the process where an mRNA sequence is read to produce a corresponding amino acid sequence to build up a polypeptide
transfer RNA
RNA that recognises specific codons on the mRNA strand adds the corresponding amino acid to the polypeptide chain during protein synthesis
ribosomal RNA
RNA that is a key structural component of ribosomes, which assemble proteins
transcription factor
proteins that bind to the promoter region and control the functioning of RNA polymerase
template strand
the strand of DNA transcribed by RNA polymerase to produce a complementary pre-mRNA strand
coding strand
the strand of DNA not transcribed by RNA polymerase, contains an identical sequence to the mRNA strand produced (except thymine is replaced with uracil in mRNA)
ribosome
an organelle made of rRNA and protein that is the site of protein synthesis, can be free in the cytosol or attached to the rough endoplasmic reticulum
5’ methyl-G cap
a molecule added to the 5’ end of pre-mRNA during RNA processing
3’ poly-A tail
a chain of adenine nucleotides added to the 3’ end of pre-mRNA during RNA processing
splicing
process where introns are cut out of a pre-mRNA molecule, and exons are joined together
spliceosome
the enzyme that removes introns from the pre-mRNA molecule and joins exons together during RNA processing
alternative splicing
the process where different exons may be spliced, resulting in a single gene producing multiple different mRNA strands
anticodon
the sequence of three nucleotides on a tRNA molecule that recognises a specific sequence of three nucleotides (codon) on an mRNA strand
