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Biology > Unit 3: Nucleic Acids And The Encoding Of Biological Information > Flashcards

Unit 3: Nucleic Acids And The Encoding Of Biological Information Flashcards

1
Q

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)

A

A linear polymer of four subunits

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2
Q

Double Helix

A

Two strands coiled around each other to form a spiral staircase

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3
Q

Genetic Information

A

Information in DNA

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4
Q

Genes

A

How genetic information is organized

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5
Q

Transformation

A

The conversion of cells from one form into another

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6
Q

Replication

A

Allows the genetic information from one DNA molecule to be copied into that of another DNA molecule

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7
Q

Mutation

A

A change in the genetic information in DNA

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8
Q

Ribonucleic Acid (RNA)

A

Another type of linear polymer that DNA acts through

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9
Q

Central Dogma

A

The flow of information from DNA to RNA to protein

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10
Q

Transcription

A

The genetic information in a molecule of DNA is used to generate a molecule of RNA

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11
Q

Template

A

The genetic information in a molecule of DNA that is used to generate a molecule of RNA

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12
Q

Gene Expression

A

The production of a functional gene product

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13
Q

Translation

A

A molecule of RNA is used as a code for the sequence of amino acids in a protein

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14
Q

Nucleotides

A

The subunits of DNA

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15
Q

Sugar

A

The simplest carbohydrate molecule

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16
Q

Base

A

A nitrogen-contending compound that makes up part of a nucleotide

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17
Q

Phosphate Group

A

A chemical group consisting of a phosphorus atom bonded to four oxygen atoms

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18
Q

Deoxyribose

A

The sugar in DNA

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19
Q

Purines

A

Bases that have a double-ring structure

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20
Q

Adenine (A)

A

A purine base

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21
Q

Guanine (G)

A

A purine base

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22
Q

Pyrimidines

A

Bases with a single-ring structure

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23
Q

Thymine (T)

A

A pyrimidine base

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24
Q

Cytosine (C)

A

A pyrimidine base

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25
Q

Nucleoside

A

The combination of sugar and base

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26
Q

Phosphodiester Bond

A

A C-O-P-O-C linkage which is a relatively stable bond they can withstand stress like heat and substantial changes in pH that would break weaker bonds.

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27
Q

Polarity

A

One end of the molecule differs from the other

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28
Q

5’ End

A

The end of a nucleic acid containing a a free 5’ phosphate group

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29
Q

3’ End

A

The end of a nucleic acid that carries a free 3’ hydroxyl group

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30
Q

Major Groove

A

The larger of the two uneven grooves on the outside of a DNA duplex

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31
Q

Minor Groove

A

The smaller of the two uneven grooves on the outside of a DNA duplex

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32
Q

Antiparallel

A

The individual DNA strands in the double helix run in opposite directions

33
Q

Complementary

A

Bases that form specific pairs, A with T and G with C

34
Q

Base Stacking

A

A stabilizing force that occurs because the nonpolar, flat surfaces of the bases tend to group away from water molecules and hence stack on top of one another as tightly as possible

35
Q

Supercoils

A

The double-stranded DNA molecules in prokaryotic cells are circular and form supercoils in which the circular molecule coils upon itself

36
Q

Topoisomerases

A

Enzymes that cleave, partially unwind, and reattach a DNA strand, which putts strain on the DNA double helix, causing it to supercoil

37
Q

Chromosome

A

Individual DNA molecules in the nucleus

38
Q

30-nm Chromatin Fibre

A

Double-stranded DNA molecules in eukaryotes that are packaged with histones

39
Q

10-nm Chromatin Fibre

A

A relaxed 30-nm chromatin fibre in which transcription is taking place

40
Q

Chromatin

A

Chromatin fibres of either dimension

41
Q

Nucleosome

A

The 10-nm chromatin fibre that is composed of a bead like repeating unit

42
Q

Histone

A

Proteins rich in the positively charged amino acids lysine and arginine, which much enables them to form ionic bonds with the negatively charged sugar-phosphate backbone of DNA

43
Q

Evolutionarily Conserved

A

Conserved DNA that are similar in sequence from one organism to the next

44
Q

Ribosomes

A

Particles in the cytoplasm where proteins are synthesized

45
Q

RNA World Hypothesis

A

The hypothesis that RNA, not DNA, was the original information-storage molecule in the earliest forms of life on Earth.

46
Q

Ribose

A

The sugar in RNA that contains a hydroxyl group on the 2’ carbon

47
Q

Uracil

A

The base in RNA that replaces thymine found in DNA

48
Q

RNA Transcript

A

A DNA strand that is used as a template or pattern for the synthesis of an RNA transcript

49
Q

Nontemplate Strand

A

The DNA template that is not transcribed

50
Q

Promoters

A

Regions of a few hundred base pairs where RNA polymerase and associated proteins bind to the DNA duplex

51
Q

TATA Box

A

A sequence similar to 5’-TATAAA-3’ in eukaryotic and archaea promoters

52
Q

Terminator

A

A sequence in which transcription stops

53
Q

Housekeeping Genes

A

Genes whose products are needed at all times in all cells, where transcription takes place continually

54
Q

Sigma Factor

A

A protein which associates with RNA polymerase and facilitates its binding to specific promoters

55
Q

General Transcription Factors

A

The combined action of at least six proteins that assemble at the promotor of a gene to attract RNA polymerase

56
Q

Pol II

A

The RNA polymerase complex responsible for transcription of protein coding genes

57
Q

Transcriptional Activator Protein

A

Proteins which bind to enhancers

58
Q

Enhancer

A

A specific DNA sequence necessary for transcription

59
Q

Mediator Complex

A

A complex of proteins that interacts with the Pol II complex and allows transcription to begin

60
Q

High-Energy Phosphate Bond

A

The bond connecting the innermost phosphate to the next, which when cleaved provides the energy to drive the reaction that creates the phosphodiester bond attaching the incoming nucleoside to the 3’ end of the growing chain.

61
Q

Primary Transcript

A

The RNA transcript that comes off the template DNA strand that contains the genetic information of the gene that was transcribed

62
Q

Messenger RNA (mRNA)

A

The RNA molecule that combines with the ribosome to direct protein synthesis

63
Q

Polycistronic mRNA

A

Molecules of mRNA that code for multiple proteins

64
Q

RNA Processing

A

The process in which the primary transcript gets converted into the finished mRNA, which can then be translated by the ribosome

65
Q

5’ Cap

A

The addition of a modified nucleotide called 7-methylguanosine to the primary transcript

66
Q

Polyadenylation

A

The addition of a string of about 250 consecutive A-bearing ribonucleotides to the 3’ end, forming a poly(A) tail.

67
Q

Poly(A) Tail

A

A long string of A-bearing ribonucleotides

68
Q

Introns

A

The excision of certain sequences from the transcript

69
Q

Exons

A

The remaining sequences on the transcript after RNA splicing

70
Q

RNA Splicing

A

The process of intron removal, which is catalyzed by a complex of RNA and spliceosome

71
Q

Spliceosome

A

A protein involved in RNA splicing

72
Q

Lariat

A

A loop and tail that forms when the spliceosome cuts on end of the intron and connects it to a nucleotide near the other

73
Q

Alternative Splicing

A

The process in which primary transcripts of the same gene can be spliced in different ways to yield different mRNA’s and therefore different protein products.

74
Q

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA)

A

Found in all ribosomes that aid in translation

75
Q

Transfer RNA (tRNA)

A

Carries individual amino acids for use in translation

76
Q

Small Nuclear RNA (snRNA)

A

Found in eukaryotes involved in splicing, polyadenylation, and other processes in the nucleus

77
Q

microRNA (miRNA)

A

Small, regulatory RNA molecules that can inhibit translation

78
Q

Small Interfering RNA (siRNA)

A

Causes destruction of an RNA transcript

Biology (4 decks)

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