Chapter 7- DNA Structure and Replication Flashcards
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)
the molecule of heredity, common to all life forms, which is passed from parents to offspring.
Chromosome
A single, large DNA molecule wrapped around proteins located in the nuclei of eukaryotic cells.
Nucleotide
The building blocks of DNA each consists of a sugar, a phosphate group, and a base. The sequence of nucleotides (A,C,G,T) along a DNA strand is unique to each person.
Double Helix
The spiral structure formed by two strands of DNA nucleotides held together by hydrogen bonds.
DNA replication
The natural process by which cells make an identical copy of a DNA molecule.
Complementary
Fitting together, two strands of DNA are said to be complementary in that A in one strand always pairs with T in the other strand and G always pairs with C.
Helicase
An enzyme that unwinds and unzips the DNA double helix during DNA replication.
DNA Polymerase
An enzyme that “reads” the nucleotide sequence of a DNA strand and incorporates complementary nucleotides into a new strand during DNA replication.
Semiconservative
each newly made DNA molecule has one original DNA strand and one new DNA strand.
Polymerase Chain Reaction
A laboratory technique used to replicate and thereby amplify a specific DNA segment.
Genome
One complete set of genetic instructions encoded in the DNA of an organism.
Short Tandem Repeats (STRs)
sections of chromosome in which short DNA sequences are repeated.
gel electrophoresis
a laboratory technique that separates fragments of DNA by size.
Where is DNA found in an eukaryotic cell?
nucleus
How many pairs of chromosomes do humans have?
23
