Chapter 5 Vocab

Question 1

Gene expression

Answer 1

the process by which the gene makes a product thats useful to the cell or organism by directing the synthesis of a protein or an RNA molecule with a characteristic activity

Question 2

genetic code

Answer 2

a set of rules by which the information contained in the nucleotide sequence of a gene and its corresponding RNA molecule is transferred into the amino acid sequence in a protein

Question 3

genome

Answer 3

the total genetic information carried by all the chromosomes of a cell or organism

Question 4

heterochromatin

Answer 4

highly condensed region of an interphase chromosome; generally gene-poor and transcriptionally inactive

Question 5

histone

Answer 5

one of a group of abundant highly conserved proteins around which DNA wraps to form nucleosomes, structures that represent the most fundamental level of chromosome packing

Question 6

karyotype

Answer 6

an ordered display of the full set of chromosomes of a cellarranded with respect to size, shape, and number

Question 7

nucleolus

Answer 7

large structure within the nucleus ribosomal RNA is transcribed and ribosomal subunits are assembled

Question 8

replication origin

Answer 8

nucleotide sequence at which DNA replication is initiated

Question 9

telomere gene

Answer 9

repetitive nucleotide sequence that caps the ends of linear chromosomes. counteracts the tendency of the chromosomes otherwise to shorten with each round of replication

Question 10

base pair

Answer 10

Two complementary nucleotides in an RNA or a DNA molecule that are held together by hydrogen bonds- for example, G with C, and A with T or U.

Question 11

cell cycle

Answer 11

The orderly sequence or events by which a cell duplicates its contents and divides into two.

Question 12

centromere

Answer 12

Specialized DNA sequence that allows duplicated chromosomes to be separated during M phase; can be seen as the constricted region of a mitotic chromosome.

Question 13

chromatin

Answer 13

Complex of DNA and proteins that makes up the chromosomes in a eukaryotic cell

Question 14

chromatin-remodeling complex

Answer 14

Enzyme (typically multisubunit) that uses the energy of ATP hydrolysis to alter the arrangement of nucleosomes in eukaryotic chromosomes, changing the accessibility of the underlying DNA to other proteins, including those involved in transcription

Question 15

chromosome

Answer 15

Long, threadlike structure composed of DNA and proteins that carries the genetic information of an organism; becomes visible as a distinct entity when a plant or animal cell prepares to divide.

Question 16

complementary

Answer 16

Describes two molecular surfaces that fit together closely and form noncovalent bonds with each other. Examples include complementary base pairs, such as A and T, and the two complementary strands of a DNA molecule

Question 17

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

Answer 17

Double-stranded polynucleotide formed from two separate chains of covalently linked deoxyribonucleotide units. It serves as the cell’s store of genetic information that is transmitted from generation to generation.

Question 18

double helix

Answer 18

The typical structure of a DNA molecule in which the two complementary polynucleotide strands are wound around each other with base-pairing between the strands.

Question 19

euchromatin

Answer 19

One of the two main states in which chromatin exists within an interphase cell. Prevalent in gene-rich areas, its less compact structure allows access for proteins involved in transcription

Question 20

gene

Answer 20

Unit of heredity containing the instructions that dictate the characteristics or phenotype of an organism; in molecular terms, a segment of DNA that directs the production of a protein or functional RNA molecule.