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Campbell Biology 9th Edition - Chapter 17 Flashcards

From Gene to Protein

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896104706gene expressionthe process by which DNA directs the synthesis of proteins (or, in some cases, just RNAs)0
896104707transcriptionsynthesis of an RNA molecule from a DNA template1
896104708primary transcriptthe initial RNA transcript from any gene, including those specifying RNA that is not translated into protein2
896104709mRNAmessenger RNA; type of RNA that carries instructions from DNA in the nucleus to the ribosome3
896104710translationThe synthesis of a polypeptide using the genetic information encoded in an mRNA molecule4
896104711ribosomesThe sites of translation, complex particles that facilitate the orderly linking of amino acids into polypeptide chains.5
896104712triplet code3 bases of DNA that code for a single amino acid6
896104713codonsmRNA base triplets7
896104714template strandThe DNA strand that provides the template for ordering the sequence of nucleotides in an RNA transcript.8
896104715reading framethe way a cell's mRNA-translating machinery groups the mRNA nucleotides into codons9
896104716RNA polymerasepries the two strands of DNA apart and joins together RNA nucleotides complementary to the DNA template strand, thus elongating the RNA polynucleotide10
896104717promoterThe DNA sequence where RNA polymerase attaches and initiates transcription11
896104718terminatorIn prokaryotes, a special sequence of nucleotides in DNA that marks the end of a gene. It signals RNA polymerase to release the newly made RNA molecule, which then departs from the gene.12
896104719transcription unitthe stretch of DNA that is transcribed into an RNA molecule13
896104720start pointnucleotide where RNA synthesis actually begins14
896104721transcription factorsin eukaryotes, a collection of proteins that mediate the binding of RNA polymerase and the initiation of transcription15
896104722transcription initiation complexthe whole complex of transcription factors and RNA polymerase II bound to the promoter16
896104723TATA boxA promoter DNA sequence crucial in forming the transcription initiation complex., a DNA sequence in eukaryotic promoters crucial in forming the transcription initiation complex (the transcription factors recognize this); "tells RNA pol where to land"17
8961047245' capa methylated guanine nucleotide added to the 5' end of eukaryotic mRNA18
896104725poly-A tailThe modified end of the 3' end of an mRNA molecule consisting of the addition of some 50 to 250 adenine nucleotides.19
896104726RNA splicingprocess by which the introns are removed from RNA transcripts and the remaining exons are joined together20
896104727intronsa non-coding, intervening sequence within a eukaryotic gene21
896104728exonsexpressed sequence of DNA; codes for a protein22
896104729spliceosomeA complex assembly that interacts with the ends of an RNA intron in splicing RNA, releasing the intron and joining the two adjacent exons.23
896104730ribozymesAn enzymatic RNA molecule that catalyzes reactions during RNA splicing.24
896104731domainsmodular architecture on proteins consisting of discrete structural and functional regions25
896104732alternative RNA splicingA type of eukaryotic gene regulation at the RNA-processing level in which different mRNA molecules are produced from the same primary transcript, depending on which RNA segments are treated as exons and which as introns26
896104733aminoacyl-tRNA synthetasesan enzyme that joins each amino acid to the appropriate tRNA27
896104734tRNAshort-chain RNA molecules present in the cell (in at least 20 varieties, each variety capable of combining with a specific amino acid) that attach the correct amino acid to the protein chain that is being synthesized at the ribosome of the cell (according28
896104735anticodongroup of three bases on a tRNA molecule that are complementary to an mRNA codon29
896104736wobbleflexibility in the base-pairing rules in which the nucleotide at the 5' end of a tRNA anticodon can form hydrogen bonds with more than one kind of base in the third position (3' end) of a codon30
896104737rRNAThe most abundant type of RNA, which together with proteins froms the structure of ribosomes. Ribosomes coordinate the sequential coupling of tRNA molecules to mRNA codons31
896104738P siteholds the tRNA carrying the growing polypeptide chain.32
896104739A siteholds the tRNA carrying the next amino acid to be added to the chain33
896104740E siteThis site is the place where discharged tRNAs leave the ribosome.34
896104741polyribosomesAn aggregation of several ribosomes attached to one messenger RNA molecule.35
896104742signal recognition particlebinds to the signal sequence and the ribosomal subunits and transports the complex to the ER36
896104743signal peptideA stretch of amino acids on a polypeptide that targets the protein to a specific destination in a eukaryotic cell.37
896104744nucleotide-pair substitutionA type of point mutation in which one nucleotide in a DNA strand and its partner in the complementary strand are replaced by another pair of nucleotides.38
896104745mutationchange in a DNA sequence that affects genetic information39
896104746silent mutationA mutation that changes a single nucleotide, but does not change the amino acid created.40
896104747nonsense mutationA mutation that changes an amino acid codon to one of the three stop codons, resulting in a shorter and usually nonfunctional protein.41
896104748missense mutationThe most common type of mutation, a base-pair substitution in which the new codon makes sense in that it still codes for an amino acid.42
896104749point mutationmutation that affects a single nucleotide, usually by substituting one nucleotide for another43
896104750insertionA mutation involving the addition of one or more nucleotide pairs to a gene.44
896104751deletionThe loss of one or more nucleotides from a gene by mutation; the loss of a fragment of a chromosome45
896104752frameshift mutationmutation that shifts the "reading" frame of the genetic message by inserting or deleting a nucleotide46
896104753mutagenany agent (physical or environmental) that can induce a genetic mutation or can increase the rate of mutation47

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