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Ch 17: From Gene to Protein Flashcards

Ch 17: From Gene to Protein, AP Biology, Campbell 7e

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559622234gene expressionthe process by which DNA directs the synthesis of proteins or, in some cases, just RNAs
559622235transcriptionthe synthesis of RNA using a DNA template
559622236messenger RNAa type of RNA, synthesized using a DNA template, that attaches to ribosomes in the cytoplasm and specifies the primary structure of a protein
559622237translationthe synthesis of a polypeptide using the genetic information encoded in an mRNA molecule
559622238ribosomea complex of rRNA and protein molecules that functions as a site of protein synthesis in the cytoplasm
559622239primary transcriptan initial RNA transcript; also called pre-mRNA when transcribed from a protein-coding gene
559622240triplet codea set of three-nucleotide-long words that specify the amino acids for polypeptide chains
559622241template strandthe DNA strand that provides the pattern for ordering the sequence of nucleotides in an RNA transcript
559622242codona three nucleotide sequence of mRNA that specifies a particular amino acid or termination signal
559622243reading frameon the mRNA, the triplet grouping of ribonucleotides used by the translation machinery during polypeptide synthesis
559622244RNA polymerasean enzyme that links ribonucleotides into a growing RNA chain during transcription
559622245promotera specific nucleotide sequence in DNA that binds RNA polymerase, positioning it to start transcribing RNA at the appropriate place
559622246terminatora sequence of nucleotides in DNA that marks the end of a gene and signals RNA polymerase to release the newly made RNA molecule and detach from the DNA
559622247transcription unita region of DNA that is transcribed into an RNA molecule
559622248transcription factora regulatory protein that binds to DNA and affects transcription of specific genes
559622249transcription initiation complexthe completed assembly of transcription factors and RNA polymerase bound to the promoter
559622250TATA boxa DNA sequence in eukaryotic promoters crucial in forming the transcription initiation complex
559622251RNA processingmodification of RNA transcripts, including splicing out of introns, joining together of exons, and alteration of the 5' and 3' ends
5596222525' capa modified form of guanine nucleotide added onto the nucleotide at the 5' end of a pre-mRNA molecule
559622253poly A taila sequence of 50-250 adenine nucleotides added onto the 3' end of a pre-mRNA molecule
559622254RNA splicingafter synthesis of a eukaryotic primary RNA transcript, the removal of portions (introns) of the transcript that will not be included in the mRNA
559622255introna noncoding, intervening sequence within a primary transcript that is removed from the transcript during RNA processing
559622256exona sequence within a primary transcript that remains in the RNA after RNA processing
559622257spliceosomea large complex made up of proteins and RNA molecules that splices RNA by interacting with the ends of an RNA intron, releasing the intron and joining the two adjacent exons
559622258ribozymean RNA molecule that functions as an enzyme, catalyzing reactions during RNA splicing
559622259alternative 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 introns
559622260domainan independently folding part of a protein
559622261transfer RNAan RNA molecule that functions as an interpreter between nucleic acid and protein language by picking up specific amino acids and recognizing the appropriate codons in the mRNA
559622262anticodona nucleotide triplet at one end of a tRNA molecule that recognizes a particular complementary codon on an mRNA molecule
559622263wobbleflexibility 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 codon
559622264ribosomal RNAthe most abundant type of RNA, which together with proteins makes up ribosomes
559622265A sitethe place on a ribosome that holds the tRNA carrying the next amino acid to be added to the polypeptide chain
559622266P sitethe place on a ribosome that holds the tRNA carrying the growing polypeptide chain
559622267E sitethe place on a ribosome where discharged tRNAs leave the ribosome
559622268polyribosomea group of several ribosomes attached to, and translating, the same messenger RNA molecule
559622269signal peptidea sequence of about 20 amino acids at or near the leading (amino) end of a polypeptide that targets it to the endoplasmic reticulum or other organelles in a eukarytoic cell
559622270signal recognition particlea protein-RNA complex that recognizes a signal peptide as it emerges from a ribosome and helps direct the ribosome to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by binding to a receptor protein on the ER
559622271mutationa change in the nucleotide sequence of an organism's DNA, ultimately creating genetic diversity
559622272point mutationa change in a gene at a single nucleotide pair
559622273base pair substitutiona type of point mutation where one nucleotide and its partner in the complementary DNA strand are replaced by another pair of nucleotides
559622274missense mutationa base-pair substitution that results in a codon that codes for a different amino acid
559622275nonsense mutationa mutation that changes an amino acid codon to one of the three stop codons, resulting in a shorter and usually nonfunctional protein
559622276insertiona mutation involving the addition of one or more nucleotide pairs to a gene
559622277deletiona mutational loss of one or more nucleotide pairs from a gene
559622278frameshift mutationa mutation occurring when the number of nucleotides inserted or deleted is not a multiple of three, resulting in the improper grouping of the subsequent nucleotides into codons
559622279mutagena chemical or physical agent that interacts with DNA and causes a mutation
559622280aminoacyl-tRNA synthetaseAn enzyme that joins each amino acid to the correct tRNA.

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