Unit 3 List 1 DNA & Heredity Flashcards
adenine
a compound which is one of the four constituent bases of nucleic acids. A purine derivative, it is paired with thymine in double-stranded DNA.
amino acid
molecules that combine to form proteins.
anticodon
a sequence of three nucleotides forming a unit of genetic code in a transfer RNA molecule, corresponding to a complementary codon in messenger RNA.
cell types
Cell types are the basic functional units of an organism.
cell differentiation
the process of cells becoming more specialized.
chromosome
A structure found inside the nucleus of a cell.
codon
A sequence of three consecutive nucleotides in a DNA or RNA molecule that codes for a specific amino acid.
cytoplasm
the gelatinous liquid that fills the inside of a cell.
cytosine
A chemical compound that is used to make one of the building blocks of DNA and RNA.
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
the molecule that carries genetic information for the development and functioning of an organism.
deoxyribose
a sugar that has five carbon atoms and four oxygen atoms in each molecule and is part of DNA
double helix
a term used to describe the physical structure of DNA.
endoplasmic reticulum
a network of membranes inside a cell through which proteins and other molecules move.
enzyme
proteins that help speed up metabolism, or the chemical reactions in our bodies.
gene
The basic unit of heredity passed from parent to child.
Golgi apparatus *
a cell organelle that helps process and package proteins and lipid molecules, especially proteins destined to be exported from the cell.
guanine
A chemical compound that is used to make one of the building blocks of DNA and RNA.
hydrogen bond
a special type of dipole-dipole attraction between molecules, not a covalent bond to a hydrogen atom.
mRNA
Messenger RNAa molecule that contains the instructions or recipe that directs the cells to make a protein using its natural machinery.
mutation
Any change in the DNA sequence of a cell.
nitrogenous base
A molecule that contains nitrogen and has the chemical properties of a base.
nuclear membrane
a double layer that encloses the cell’s nucleus, where the chromosomes reside.
nucleic acid *
large biomolecules that play essential roles in all cells and viruses.
nucleotide
A molecule that is the basic building block of the nucleic acids DNA and RNA.
nucleus
the structure in a cell that contains the chromosomes.
peptide bond *
a covalent bond that links amino acids together to form a protein.
phosphate group *
A functional group characterized by a phosphorus atom bonded to four oxygen atoms
polypeptides
a single linear chain of many amino acids (any length), held together by amide bonds.
protein synthesis *
the biological process whereby amino acids are assembled by peptide bonding into specific polypeptide sequences in accord with genetic blueprints encoded by deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).
ribose
a sugar that forms the backbone of a very important molecule called ribonucleic acid (RNA).
ribosome
the cellular machinery responsible for making proteins.
RNA
Ribonucleic acid (abbreviated RNA) is a nucleic acid present in all living cells that has structural similarities to DNA.
rRNA
Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is part of the ribosome, or protein builders, of the cell.
start codon *
the initial set of codons in an mRNA transcript that is translated by a ribosome.
stop codon *
a sequence of three nucleotides (a trinucleotide) in DNA or messenger RNA (mRNA) that signals a halt to protein synthesis in the cell.
thymine
one of the four nucleotide bases in the nucleic acid of DNA that are represented by the letters G–C–A–T.
transcription
the process by which a cell makes an RNA copy of a piece of DNA.
translation
the process by which a cell makes proteins using the genetic information carried in messenger RNA (mRNA).
tRNA
Transfer RNA (abbreviated tRNA) is a small RNA molecule that plays a key role in protein synthesis.
uracil
a common and naturally occurring pyrimidine nucleobase in which the pyrimidine ring is substituted with two oxo groups at positions 2 and 4.
vesicle
A small sac formed by a membrane and filled with liquid.
