3B Vocabulary

Question 1

Amino Acid

Answer 1

An organic molecule containing a carboxyl group and an amino group; serves as the monomer of proteins

Question 2

Denaturation

Answer 2

A process in which a protein unravels, losing its specific structure and hence function; can be caused by changes in pH or salt concentration by high temperature a measure of an atom’s ability to attract shared electrons to itself

Question 3

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

Answer 3

A double stranded helical nucleic acid molecule consisting of nucleotide monomers with deoxyribose sugar and the nitrogenous bases adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T). Capable of replicating, DNA is an organism’s genetic material. See also gene

Question 4

Double helix

Answer 4

The form of native DNA, referring to its two adjacent polynucleotide strands inter wound into a spiral shape

Question 5

Gene

Answer 5

A discrete unit of hereditary information consisting of a specific nucleotide sequence in DNA (or RNA in some viruses). Most of the genes of a eukaryote located in its chromosomal DNA; a few are carried by the DNA of mitochondria and chloroplasts

Question 6

Nucleic Acid

Answer 6

A polymer consisting of many nucleotide monomers; serves as a blueprint for proteins and, through the actions of proteins, for all cellular structures and activities. The two types of nucleic acids are DNA and RNA

Question 7

Nucleotide

Answer 7

A building block of nucleic acids, consisting of a five-carbon sugar covalently bonded into a nitrogenous base and one or more phosphate groups

Question 8

Peptide bond

Answer 8

The covalent bond between two amino acid units in a polypeptide, formed by a dehydration reaction

Question 9

Polypeptide

Answer 9

A polymer of amino acids linked by peptide bonds

Question 10

Protein

Answer 10

A functional biological molecule consisting of one or more polypeptides folded into a specific three- dimensional stucture

Question 11

Ribonucleic Acid (RNA)