Ch. 8 Bio Vocab Flashcards
Nucleotide
monomer that forms DNA and has a phosphate group, a sugar, and a nitrogen-containing base
Double helix
model that compares the structure of a DNA mol- ecule, in which two strands wind around one another, to that of a twisted ladder
Base pairing rules
ule that describes how nucleotides form bonds in DNA; adenine (A) always bonds with thymine (T), and guanine (G) always bonds with cytosine (C)
Replication
process by which DNA is copied
DNA Polymerase
Enzyme that makes bonds between nucleotides, forming an identical strand of DNA during replication
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
Translation
process by which mRNA is decoded and a protein is produced.
RNA Polymerase
The enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of a complementary strand of RNA from a DNA template
Messenger RNA
A form of RNA that carries genetic information from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, where it serves as a template for protein synthesis
Ribosomal RNA
RNA that is in the ribosome and guides the translation of mRNA into a protein; also used as a molecular clock
Transfer RNA
A form of RNA that brings amino acids to ribosomes during protein synthesis
Transcription
The process of copying a nucleotide sequence of DNA to form a complementary strand of mRNA
Codon
A sequence of three nucleotides that codes for one amino acid
Stop Codon
A codon that signals to ribosomes to stop translation
