Unit 3 List 1 DNA & Heredity AL 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.
Cell Types
Basic functional units of an organism.
Cell Differentiation
The process during which young, immature cells take on individual characteristics and reach their mature form and function.
chromosome
Thread-like structures located inside the nucleus of all animal and plant cells.
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 compound found in living tissue as a constituent base of nucleic acids. It is paired with guanine in double-stranded DNA.
deoxyribose
A sugar that has five carbon atoms and four oxygen atoms in each molecule and is part of DNA.
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
The molecule that carries genetic information for the development and functioning of an organism.
double helix
A term used to describe the physical structure of DNA.
endoplasmic reticulum
A network of membrane-enclosed tubules and sacs that extend from the nuclear membrane throughout the cytoplasm.
enzyme
Proteins that help speed up metabolism, or the chemical reactions in our bodies.
gene
A unit of heredity which is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic of the offspring.
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. Pairs with cytosine.
hydrogen bond
A special type of dipole-dipole attraction between molecules.
mRNA
A molecule that contains the instructions or recipe that directs the cells to make a protein using its natural machinery.
mutation
A change in the DNA sequence of an organism.
nucleic acid
Large bio-molecules that play essential roles in all cells and viruses.
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.
nucleotide
A molecule that is the basic building blocks 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 phosphorous atom bonded to four oxygen atoms.
polypeptides
Biomaterials composed of repeating amino acid units linked by a peptide bond.
protein synthesis
The formation of a peptide bond between the carboxyl group at the end of a growing polypeptide chain and a free amino group of an incoming amino acid.
ribose
A sugar that is naturally produced by the body from food.
ribosome
An intercellular structure made of both RNA and protein, and it is the site of protein synthesis in the cell.
RNA
A molecule that is made up of nucleotides.
stop codon
A sequence of three nucleotides in DNA or mRNA that signals a halt to protein synthesis in the cell.
rRNA
Molecule that is exported to the cytoplasm to help translate the information in messenger RNA into protein.
start codon
A particular codon, normally AUG, which signals the position at which protein synthesis begins in an mRNA.
transcription
The process of making an RNA copy of a gene’s DNA sequence.
thymine
One of the four nucleic bases in DNA, and it pairs with guanine.
translation
The process of translating the sequence of messenger RNA molecules to a sequence of amino acids during protein synthesis. t
tRNA
A small RNA molecule that plays a large role in protein synthesis.
uracil
A nitrogenous base that is a component of RNA.
vesicle
A small sac containing fluids within the body.
