Appendix A1-A3 Genetics Flashcards
gene
A length of DNA that encodes the information for constructing a particular protein. The most important thing about genes is that they are pieces of information, inherited from parents, that affect the development and function of our cells. Information carried by the genes is a very specific sort: each gene codes for the construction of a specific string of amino acids to form a protein molecule. This is all that genes do; they do not directly encode intelligence, or memories, or any other sort of complex behavior.
protein
A long string of amino acids. The basic building material of organisms. These proteins make complex behavior possible, and in that context they are also the targets upon which the forces of evolution act.
enzyme
A complicated protein whose action increases the probability of a specific chemical reaction. For example, only cells that have liver-typical proteins will look like a liver cell and be able to perform liver functions.
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
A nucleic acid that is present in the chromosomes of cells and codes hereditary information.
nucleotide
A portion of a DNA or RNA molecule that is composed of a single base and the adjoining sugar-phosphate unit of the strand.
DNA has only four nucleotides
guanine, cytosine, thymine, and adenine (abbreviated G, C, T, and A).
hybridization
The process by which a string of nucleotides becomes linked to a complementary series of nucleotides.
chromosome
A complex of condensed strands of DNA and associated protein molecules; found in the nucleus of cells.
eukaryote
A complex of condensed strands of DNA and associated protein molecules; found in the nucleus of cells.
cell nucleus
The spherical central structure of a cell that contains the chromosomes.
ribonucleic acid (RNA)
A nucleic acid that implements information found in DNA.
transcription
The process during which mRNA forms bases complementary to a strand of DNA. The resulting message (called a transcript) is then used to translate the DNA code into protein molecules
messenger RNA (mRNA)
A strand of RNA that carries the code of a section of a DNA strand to the cytoplasm.
transcript
The mRNA strand that is produced when a stretch of DNA is “read.”
ribosomes
Structures in the cell body where genetic information is translated to produce proteins.
translation
The process by which amino acids are linked together (directed by an mRNA molecule) to form protein molecules.
codon
A set of three nucleotides that uniquely encodes one particular amino acid.
peptide
A short string of amino acids. Longer strings of amino acids are called proteins.
genome
Also called genotype. All the genetic information that one specific individual has inherited.
expression
The process by which a cell makes an mRNA transcript of a particular gene.
cell differentiation
The developmental stage in which cells acquire distinctive characteristics, such as those of neurons, as the result of expressing particular genes.
clones
Asexually produced organisms that are genetically identical.
DNA sequencing
The process by which the order of nucleotides in a gene, or amino acids in a protein, is determined.
Chromosomes
23 pairs, contain our genes, one from each parent
Alleles
the matching pair of genes, on a chromosome pair, that control a trait (protein product)
Homozygous And Heterozygous
Homozygous – the alleles are the same Heterozygous – the alleles are different
Mutations 1Chromosome DIAGRAM
Mutations 2 Chromosomes DIAGRAM
- Insertions 2. Translocations (crossing over)
4 Nucleotide bases
adenine, cytosine, guanine, thymine
Unwinding DNA DIAGRAM
Gene to Protein DIAGRAM
Gene to Protein DIAGRAM
Transcription & Translation DIAGRAM
Transcription & Translation DIAGRAM
Epigenetics DIAGAM
Changes in a phenotype without changes to the underlying genotype.
Agouti Mice - Epigenetics
And as you can see, the yellow mouse is quite obese, and she is also prone to diabetes and cancer. But on the other hand, the brown mouse remains slender and lean and also has a lower risk of developing disease. But what’s really amazing about these two mice are that they are genetically identical — they are two identical twin sisters from the same mother. it turns out that there’s a second genome called the epigenome. Epigenome literally means, in addition to, or above, the genome, All of our cells contain the same DNA and genes, but it is the epigenome that decides how these genes are expressed and determines how a cell becomes a heart cell, a liver cell or even a hair cell. Epigenetics consists of molecular switches and markers, such as DNA methylation, that help control gene regulation in which a quartet of atoms called a methyl group attaches to DNA and shuts down genes In the yellow obese mouse, the Agouti gene is unmethylated and turned on all the time, while in the brown mouse, the gene is completely methylated and shut down. We used the Agouti mice to study how maternal nutrients and environmental factors affect the epigenome. Specifically, we wanted to know whether a mom’s exposure to a contaminant found everywhere in the environment can alter the fetal epigenome, and eventually the long-term fate of her offspring. In the study, pregnant mothers were exposed to a common chemical found in certain plastics. This chemical is called bisphenol-A, or BPA for short, And when we fed the pregnant mothers, the mice, BPA, we noticed that the number of offspring with the yellow obese coat color increased dramatically, The level of soy that we provided is similar to what a person who eats a high soy diet or an individual living in Asia might eat. And once we did this, we observed that the offspring were no longer predominantly yellow and more obese, and that there were more offspring with the slender brown coat color phenotype. This indicates that maternal nutrient supplementation can counteract the negative effects of exposure to that chemical. These studies with the agouti mice show us that we can no longer say whether genetics or the environment have a greater impact on our health, because the two are inextricably linked through the epigenome.
How do you make a protein from a DNA strand?
In the ribosome Transcription mRNA
What is DNA made from versus a protein?
DNA - Alleles which are made of proteins Protein – peptides which are long strings of amino acids.
Why are proteins important in the CNS?
It is the force which evolution works on
