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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

Organized genetic information

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5
Q

Transformation

A

The convention of cells from one form to another

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6
Q

Replication

A

Replication allows the genetic information from one cell
to be copied into another

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7
Q

Mutation

A

A change in the genetic information of DNA

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8
Q

Ribonucleic Acid (RNA)

A

Another type of linear polymer that DNA acts through in specifying the amino acid sequence of proteins

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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 DNA molecule

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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

Forms the backbone of a DNA molecule

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16
Q

Phosphate Groups

A

Forms the backbone of a DNA molecule

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17
Q

Bases

A

Give each nucleotide its chemical identity

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18
Q

Deoxyribose

A

The sugar in DNA

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19
Q

Purines

A

Bases with 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
Nucleoside
The combination of sugar and base
26
Phosphodiester Bond
A stable bond that is formed by a C-O-P-O-C linkage
27
Polarity
One end of the DNA strand differs from the other
28
5’ End
The nucleotide at the top of the molecule
29
3’ End
The nucleotide at the bottom of the DNA molecule
30
Major Groove
The larger groove in the DNA strand
31
Minor Grove
The smaller groove in a DNA strand
32
Antiparallel
The individual DNA strands run in opposite directions
33
Complementary
A pairs with T and C pairs with G
34
Base Stacking
The non polar, flat surfaces of the bases tend to group together away from water molecules, and hence stack on top of one another as tightly as possible.
35
Supercoils
Occurs when a circular molecule coils upon itself
36
Topoisomerases
Enzymes that cleave, partially unwind, and reattach a DNA strand causing it to supercoil
37
Chromosome
Molecules of DNA
38
30-nm Chromatin Fibre
Length of a double stranded DNA molecule in eukaryotes packed with histones
39
10-nm Chromatin Fibre
Relaxed 30-nm chromatin fibre when transcription is taking place
40
Chromatin
Chromatin fibres of either dimension
41
Nucleosome
A bead-like repeating unit of DNA base pairs
42
Histone
Proteins composed of lysine and arginine that wraps around the DNA base pairs in a nucleosome
43
Evolutionary Conserved
Proteins similar in sequence from one organism to the next
44
Ribosomes
Particles in the cytoplasm where proteins are synthesized
45
RNA World Hypothesis
The idea that RNA was the original information storage molecule in the earliest forms of life on Earth.
46
Ribose
The sugar in RNA
47
Uracil
Replaces thymine in DNA
48
RNA Transcript
A strand of DNA is used as a template for the synthesis of a complementary sequence to the DNA template
49
RNA Polymerase
The enzyme that carries out polymerization by adding successive nucleotides to the 3’ end of the growing transcript
50
Nontemplate Strand
The strand of DNA that is not transcribed
51
Promoters
Regions of a few hundred base pairs where RNA polymerase and other proteins bind to the DNA duplex
52
TATA Box
A sequence of 5’-TATAAA-3’ found in many promoters
53
Terminator
A sequence where transcription stops
54
Housekeeping Genes
Genes whose products are needed at all times in all cells where transcription takes place continually
55
Sigma Factor
Associates with RNA polymerase and facilitates its binding to specific promoters
56
General Transcription Factors
The combined action of six proteins that assemble at the promoter of a gene and and recruit the RNA polymerase to the site
57
Pol II
The RNA polymerase complex responsible for transcription of protein coding genes
58
Transcriptional Activator Proteins
Proteins that bind to specific DNA sequences
59
Enhancer
A specific DNA sequence that aids in transcription
60
Mediator Complex
Recruited by transcriptional activator proteins that interact with the Pol II complex to allow transcription to begin
61
High-Energy Phosphate Bond
A bond which when cleaved provides the energy to drive the reaction that creates the phosphodiester bond attaching to the incoming 3’ end of the growing chain
62
Primary Transcript
The RNA transcript that comes off the template DNA strand that contains the genetic material of the information that was transcribed
63
Messenger RNA (mRNA)
The RNA molecule that combines with the ribosome to direct protein synthesis
64
Polycistronic mRNA
Molecules of mRNA that code for multiple proteins
65
RNA Processing
Converts the primary transcript into the finished mRNA, which can then be translated by the ribosome
66
5’ Cap
The 5’ end of the primary transcript is modified by the addition of a special nucleotide attached in an unusual linkage
67
Polyadenylation
The addition of a string of A-bearing ribonucleotides to the 3’ end
68
Poly(A) Tail
A string of consecutive A-bearing ribonucleotides to the 3’ end of the RNA transcript
69
Introns
The excision of certain sequences from the transcript
70
Exons
The sequences left intact after the introns are removed
71
RNA Splicing
The process of intron removal
72
Spliceosome
The enzyme involved in RNA splicing
73
Lariat
The tail on a cut off piece of an intron
74
Alternative Splicing
Primary transcripts from the same gene can be spliced in different ways to yield different mRNA’s and different protein products
75
Ribosomal RNA (rRNA)
Found in all ribosomes that aid in translation
76
Transfer RNA (tRNA)
Carries individual amino acids for use in translation
77
Small Nuclear RNA (snRNA)
Found in eukaryotes and involved in splicing, polyadenylation and other processes in the nucleus
78
microRNA (miRNA)
Small, regulatory RNA molecules that can inhibit translation
79
Small Interfering RNA (siRNA)
Causes destruction of an RNA transcript

Biology (4 decks)

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