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).
