Unit 6 - Gene Expression

Question 1

Karyotype

Answer 1

An individual’s complete set of chromosomes

Question 2

Gene

Answer 2

The basic unit of heredity passed from parent to child (sequences of DNA)

Question 3

DNA ligase

Answer 3

an enzyme that joins DNA strands through the formation of phosphodiester bonds

Question 4

DNA polymerase

Answer 4

a type of enzyme that is responsible for forming new copies of DNA, in the form of nucleic acid molecules.

Question 5

RNA polymerase

Answer 5

an enzyme that is responsible for copying a DNA sequence into an RNA sequence during the process of transcription

Question 6

semiconservative replication

Answer 6

each newly made DNA molecule has one original and one new strand of DNA

Question 7

Okazaki fragments

Answer 7

small sections of DNA that are formed during discontinuous synthesis of the lagging strand during DNA replication

Question 8

Primer

Answer 8

a short nucleic acid sequence that provides a starting point for DNA synthesis

Question 9

mRNA

Answer 9

type of single-stranded RNA involved in protein synthesis by carrying the genetic information needed to make proteins

Question 10

rRNA

Answer 10

molecule in cells that forms part of the protein-synthesizing organelle known as a ribosome.

Question 11

tRNA

Answer 11

a small RNA molecule that plays a key role in protein synthesis as it serves as a link between mRNA and the growing chain of amino acids.

Question 12

Mutation

Answer 12

change in the DNA sequence of an organism

Question 13

Clone

Answer 13

exact carbon copy or copies of a single genetical parent

Question 14

Transcription

Answer 14

the process by which a cell makes an RNA copy of a piece of DNA.

Question 15

Translation

Answer 15

the process of translating the sequence of a mRNA molecule to a sequence of amino acids during protein synthesis.

Question 16

Exon

Answer 16

a region of the genome that ends up within an mRNA molecule.

Question 17

Intron

Answer 17

any nucleotide sequence within a gene that is not expressed or operative in the final RNA product

Question 18

Promoter

Answer 18

a region of DNA upstream of a gene where relevant proteins (such as RNA polymerase and transcription factors) bind to initiate transcription of that gene.

Question 19

Codon

Answer 19

a three-letter genetic sequence found in both DNA and RNA.

Question 20

Anticodon

Answer 20

a trinucleotide sequence located at one end of a transfer RNA (tRNA) molecule, which is complementary to a corresponding codon in a messenger RNA (mRNA) sequence.

Question 21

Deletion

Answer 21

A type of genetic change that involves the absence of a segment of DNA.

Question 22

Frameshift mutation

Answer 22

genetic mutation caused by a deletion or insertion in a DNA sequence that shifts the way the sequence is read

Question 23

Insertion

Answer 23

a type of mutation that involves the addition of one or more nucleotides into a segment of DNA

Question 24

gene expression

Answer 24

he process by which the information encoded in a gene is used to direct the assembly of a protein molecule.

Question 25

Activator

Answer 25

a molecule that increases the activity of an enzyme or a protein that increases the production of a gene product in DNA transcription.

Question 26

Repressor

Answer 26

proteins that turn off or reduce gene expression, which is reflected by reduced messenger RNA production from the affected gene

Question 27

Operator

Answer 27

the DNA segment where the repressor molecule binds to the operon model.

Question 28

Operon

Answer 28

a cluster of genes that are transcribed together to give a single messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule, which therefore encodes multiple proteins

Question 29

Gene mutation

Answer 29

changes to your DNA sequence that happen during cell division when your cells make copies of themselves.

Question 30

Epigenetic

Answer 30

the study of how your behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work.