Chapter 6 - Vocabulary

Question 1

Antibiotic Resistant

Answer 1

describes strains of bacteria that are no longer susceptible to the effects of antibiotics; are sometimes called “superbugs” and are prevalent in hospital settings.

Question 2

Chromosome Mutation

Answer 2

an error that involves an entire chromosome or a large part of a chromosome.

Question 3

Coding DNA

Answer 3

a region of DNA that contains a sequence of nucleotides that will be expressed; a gene.

Question 4

Complementary Base Pairing

Answer 4

pairing of the nitrogenous base of one strand of DNA with the nitrogenous base of another stand; adenine (A) pairs with thymine (T), and guanine (G) pairs with cytosine ©.

Question 5

DNA Bank

Answer 5

a database of DNA sequences; the sequences can be from plants, animals, or humans.

Question 6

DNA Fingerprinting

Functional Genomics

Answer 6

the study of the relationship between genes and their function.

Question 7

Gene Therapy

Answer 7

the process by which defective genes in a genome are corrected with a normal copy of the gene.

Question 8

Human Genome

Answer 8

the sequence of DNA nitrogenous bases found on the 23 sets of chromosomes in humans.

Question 9

Human Genome Project (HGP)

Answer 9

a collaborative worldwide project to sequence the nitrogenous bases in human DNA.

Question 10

Induced Mutation

Answer 10

a mutation that occurs because of exposure to an outside factor; second-hand smoke increases the chance of developing lung cancer.

Question 11

Microarray

Answer 11

a small membrane or glass slide that has been coated in a predictable and organized manner with a genomic sequence.

Question 12

Model Organism

Answer 12

an organism that can be used to study biological functions of another organism, due to its genetic similarity.

Question 13

Non-Coding DNA

Answer 13

a region of DNA that does not contain a sequence of nucleotides that will be expressed.

Question 14

Nuclein

Answer 14

the original name given to DNA when it was discovered in the nucleus of cells by Friderich Miescher in 1869.

Question 15

Nucleotide

Answer 15

the repeating unit of DNA; it comprises of deoxyribose sugar, a phosphate group, and one of the four nitrogen bases.

Question 16

Point Mutation

Answer 16

a small-scale change in the nitrogenous base sequence of a DNA; the mutation may be beneficial, harmful, or neutral (having no effect on the organism).

Question 17

Recombinant DNA

Answer 17

a fragment of DNA consisting of nucleotide sequences from at least two different sources.

Question 18

Restriction Enzyme

Answer 18

a molecule that has the ability to cut DNA at a specific site; different restriction enzymes recognize and cut different sites.

Question 19

Scientific Model

Answer 19

a simplified representation of a concept; can be tangible or conceptual.

Question 20

Spontaneous Mutation

Answer 20

a mutation that is not caused by any outside factors; it occurs randomly.

Question 21

Target Cell

Answer 21

one of the cells that contain the faulty gene to be corrected.

Question 22

Transposition

Answer 22

the process of moving a gene sequence from one part of the chromosome to another part of the chromosome.

Question 23

Transposon

Answer 23

a specific segment of DNA that can move along or between the chromosomes.

Question 24

Vector

Answer 24

any agent, such as a plasmid or a virus, capable of inserting a piece of foreign DNA into a cell.

Question 25

X-ray Crystallography

Answer 25

a technique in which a pure substance is subjected to X-rays; the pattern in which the X-rays bend and spread helps reveal the structure of the pure substance.