random knowledge Flashcards
Insulin
A hormone secreted by the pancreas to control blood glucose levels
Hydrolysis
A chemical reaction in which water is used to break down the chemical bonds of a substance.
Monomer
A molecule that is the smallest building block of a polymer.
Origin of replication (ori)
A sequence found in prokaryotes that signals the start site of DNA replication.
Polymer
A large molecule that is made up of small, repeated monomer subunits
Polymerase
An enzyme that synthesises a polymer from monomers, such as forming a DNA strand from nucleic acids.
Ligase
An enzyme that joins molecules, including DNA or RNA, together by catalysing the formation of phosphodiester bonds.
Prosthetic group
A biomacromolecule made of amino acid chains folded into a 3D shape.
Proteome
All the proteins that are expressed by a cell or organism at a given time.
Recognition site
A specific target sequence of DNA upon which restriction endonucleases act.
Restriction endonuclease
Any enzyme that acts like molecular scissors to cut nucleic acid strands at specific recognition sites. Also known as a restriction enzyme.
Silenced
Describes a gene that is prevented from being expressed.
Sticky end
The result of a staggered cut through double-stranded DNA by an endonuclease resulting in overhanging nucleotides.
