Vocabulary Flashcards
Gene
A section of DNA in a genome that codes for a protein
Protein
A large molecule made up of amino acids
Transcription
When RNA polymerase reads the information in a gene (DNA) and converts it into mRNA
Translation
When ribosomes read the information in mRNA and converts it into protein
Promoter
The part of the gene that binds the RNA polymerase starting transcription
Enhancers and silencers
Small stretches of DNA (typically less than 1500 bp) that bind proteins called transcription factors
Intron
Stretches of DNA that occur between Exons
Exon
Are the parts of the gene that code for proteins
Start codon
Is where translation starts
- it is ATG (DNA) or AUG (RNA)
- the first codon on the first Exon
- start codons are transcribed and translated
Stop codon
Is where translation stops
- it is either TAA, TAG, and TGA (DNA) or UAA,UAG and UGA (RNA)
- it is the last codon on the last exon
- stop codons are transcribed but not translated
Open reading frame
Is all the DNA between the start and stop codon
Allele
Different versions of the same gene
Genome
Is all the DNA (or genetic material) of an organism
Nucleotides
Compounds molecules that make up DNA and RNA
- A: adenine
- T: thymine
- G: guanine
- C: cytosine
- U: uracil (not in dna)
DNA
A string of nucleotides that contains genetic Information
Base pairs
Nucleotides pair up with each other to form base pairs
Chromosome
One very long double stranded length of DNA gets wrapped up with proteins to make a single chromosome
Histones
DNA gets wrapped up around proteins called histones, which make up nucleosomes.
Nucleosomes
Protein complexes made up of 8 host one proteins
Chromatin
The combination of DNA and nucleosomes
Homology
When species have similar characteristics because they inherited these characteristics from their common ancestor
Conserved
The sequence of the gene and the protein it makes are similar across different species
Junk DNA
Is DNA sequence that is highly repetitive
- ATARATATATATA
Ploidy
How many copies you have of each chromosome
Diploid
2 copies of each chromosome
Haploid
1 copy of each chromosome
Sister chromatids
Identical chromosomes joined at the centromere
Homologous chromosomes
are the two copies of a pair of chromosomes
Centromere
Is the part of the chromosome where the sister chromatids attach to each other and it is also where microtubules attach during mitosis and meiosis to move chromosomes around
DNA sequencing
A method that lets you find out the sequence of all the nucleotides in a genome
CRISPR-Cas9
An amazing new method that allows us to edit the genome of an embryo
