Nucleic Acids: Vocab Flashcards
Nucleotide vs. Nucleoside
Nucleosides
- are made of a nitrogenous base, usually either a purine or pyrimidine, and a five-carbon carbohydrate ribose.
Nucleotide “tail”
- is simply a nucleoside with an additional phosphate group or groups; polynucleotides containing the carbohydrate ribose are known as ribonucleotide or RNA.
Plasmid vs. Chromosome
-A plasmid is a small circular DNA molecule found in bacteria and some other microscopic organisms. Plasmids are physically separate from chromosomal DNA and replicate independently
-A chromosome is an organized structure of DNA and protein that is found in nucleus of the cell. It is a single piece of coiled DNA containing many genes, regulatory elements and other nucleotide sequences.
Gene vs genome
GENE
The basic unit of heredity passed from parent to child. Genes are made up of sequences of DNA and are arranged, one after another, at specific locations on chromosomes in the nucleus of cells.
GENOME
The complete set of DNA (genetic material) in an organism. In people, almost every cell in the body contains a complete copy of the genome. The genome contains all of the information needed for a person to develop and grow.
ATP vs dATP
-ATP is a ribonucleotide
-serves as the energy for the cell
-dATP is a deoxyribonucleotide
-allosteric inhibition RNR
-serves as a precursor for DNA synthesis
Ribozyme
catalytically active RNA molecules or RNA–protein complexes, in which solely the RNA provides catalytic activity
saltbridge
an interaction between two groups of opposite charge in which at least one pair of heavy atoms is within hydrogen bonding distance
histone vs. chromatin
HISTONES
are highly basic proteins abundant in lysine and arginine residues that are found in eukaryotic cell nuclei.
CHROMATIN
a mixture of DNA and proteins that form the chromosomes found in the cells of humans and other higher organisms.
exonuclease vs endonuclease
endonucleases cleave the phosphodiester bond in the polynucleotide present internally in the polynucleotide chain
exonucleases cleave the phosphodiester bond from the ends
uricase
a copper-binding enzyme that catalyses the oxidation of uric acid to 5-hydroxyisourate and hydrogen peroxide
deamination
a type of post-translational modification (PTM) in which an amine group is removed from a protein.
DERA vs NADPH
DERA: gene
Catalyzes a reversible aldol reaction between acetaldehyde and D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate to generate 2-deoxy-D-ribose 5-phosphate
NADPH
a cofactor, used to donate electrons and a hydrogens to reactions catalyzed by some enzymes.
Alanine vs B-alanine
B- Alanine amino acid in which the amino group is attached to the β-carbon. An inhibitor, an agonist, a human metabolite, a fundamental metabolite and a neurotransmitter.
Alanine is an amino acid that is used to make proteins.
semiconservative replication
DNA replication is a semiconservative process, meaning that for every new pair there is one original strand and one new strand.
activated nucleotide
An activated nucleotide is a nucleoside 5′-monophosphate possessing a leaving group, such as imidazole, which provides sufficient energy to form higher oligonucleotides.
HOW
Add additional phosphate groups. Activation increases the chemical energy in the nucleotides enough to offset the decrease in entropy that will result from the polymerization reaction.
inter-strand vs intra-strand cross linking
crosslinking of DNA occurs when various exogenous or endogenous agents react with two nucleotides of DNA, forming a covalent linkage between them.
Crosslinking can occur within the same strand (intrastrand) or between opposite strands of double-stranded DNA (interstrand).
origin of replication
a particular sequence in a genome at which replication is initiated.
polymerase switching
polymerase switching refers to the coordinated hand-off of the DNA template from one DNA polymerase to another.
leading vs lagging strand
The leading strand is synthesized by adding nucleotides to the 3’ end of the growing strand. Whereas the leading strand is synthesized in short fragments that are ultimately stitched together.
The lagging strand is synthesized by adding nucleotides to the 5’ end. The lagging strand is synthesized continuously.
germline vs. somatic cell
GERMLINE
cells that form eggs in females and sperm in males. Germline cells contain the genetic information that is passed down from one generation to the next.
SOMATIC CELL
Somatic cells are the cells in the body other than sperm and egg cells (which are called germ cells). In humans, somatic cells are diploid, meaning they contain two sets of chromosomes, one inherited from each parent.
intron vs exon
Introns are removed by RNA splicing as RNA matures, meaning that they are not expressed in the final messenger RNA (mRNA) product
exons go on to be covalently bonded to one another in order to create mature mRNA.
promoter vs transcription start site
PROMOTER
a short region of DNA (100–1,000 bp) where transcription of a gene by RNA polymerase begins. It is typically located directly upstream or at the 5′ end of the transcription initiation site
TSS
Transcription begins when RNA polymerase binds to a promoter sequence near the beginning of a gene
alternative splicing
process during gene expression that allows a single gene to code for multiple proteins.
enhancer
DNA-regulatory elements that activate transcription of a gene or genes to higher levels than would be the case in their absence.
epigenetics
the study of how cells control gene activity without changing the DNA sequence.
