Terms : Hide Images
| 338702741 | activator | A transcription factor that binds to an enhancer and stimulates transcription of a gene | |
| 338702742 | alternative RNA splicing | A type of 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. | |
| 338702743 | cell differentiation | The structural and functional divergence of cells as they become specialized during a multicellular organism's development; dependent on the control of gene expression. | |
| 338702744 | chromatin | The complex of DNA and proteins that makes up a eukaryotic chromosome. When the cell is not dividing, chromatin exists as a mass of very long, thin fibers that are not visible with a light microscope. | |
| 338702745 | control element | A segment of noncoding DNA that helps regulate transcription of a gene by binding proteins called transcription factors. | |
| 338702746 | differential gene expression | The expression of different sets of genes by cells with the same genome. | |
| 338702747 | enhancer | A DNA segment containing multiple control elements that may be located far away from the gene it regulates. | |
| 338702748 | epigenetic inheritance | Inheritance of traits transmitted by mechanisms not directly involving the nucleotide sequence. | |
| 338702749 | euchromatin | The more open, unraveled form of eukaryotic chromatin that is available for transcription. | |
| 338702750 | genomic imprinting | Phenomenon in which expression of an allele in offspring depends on whether the allele is inherited from the male or female parent. | |
| 338702751 | heterochromatin | Nontranscribed eukaryotic chromatin that is so highly compacted that it is visible with a light microscope during interphase. | |
| 338702752 | histone | A small protein with a high proportion of positively charged amino acids that binds to the negatively charged DNA and plays a key role in its chromatin structure. | |
| 338702753 | histone acetylation | the attachment of acetyl groups to certain amino acids of histone proteins | |
| 338702754 | microRNA (miRNA) | small single-stranded RNa molecules that can bind to complementary sequences in mRNA molecules to block expression of specific mRNA molecules | |
| 338702755 | multigene family | A collection of genes with similar or identical sequences, presumably of common origin. | |
| 338702756 | nucleosome | The basic, beadlike unit of DNA packaging in eukaryotes, consisting of a segment of DNA wound around a protein core composed of two copies of each of four types of histone. | |
| 338702757 | oncogene | A gene found in viruses or as part of the normal genome that is involved in triggering cancerous characteristics | |
| 338702758 | p53 gene | The "guardian angel of the genome," p53 is expressed when a cell's DNA is damaged. Its product, p53 protein, functions as a transcription factor for several genes. | |
| 338702759 | proteasome | A giant protein complex that recognizes and destroys proteins tagged for elimination by the small protein ubiquitin. | |
| 338702760 | proto-oncogene | a gene that regulates normal cell division but that can become a cancer-causing oncogene as a result of mutation or recombination | |
| 338702761 | pseudogene | A DNA segment very similar to a real gene but which does not yield a functional product; a gene that has become inactivated in a particular species because of mutation. | |
| 338702762 | ras gene | This gene codes for Ras protein, a G protein that relays a growth signal from a growth-factor receptor on the plasma membrane to a cascade of protein kinases that ultimately results in the stimulation of the cell cycle. Many ras oncogenes have a point mutation that leads to a hyperactive version of the Ras protein that can lead to excessive cell division. | |
| 338702763 | repetitive DNA | Nucleotide sequences, usually noncoding, that are present in many copies in a eukaryotic genome. The repeated units may be short and arranged tandemly (in series) or long and dispersed in the genome. | |
| 338702764 | repressor | A protein that suppresses the transcription of a gene. | |
| 338702765 | retrotransposon | A transposable element that moves within a genome by means of an RNA intermediate, a transcript of the retrotransposon DNA. | |
| 338702766 | RNA interference RNA (RNAi) | A technique to silence the expression of selected genes in nonmammalian organisms. The method uses synthetic double-stranded RNA molecules matching the sequence of a particular gene to trigger the breakdown of the gene's messenger RNA. | |
| 338702767 | small interfering RNA (siRNA) | RNAs of similar size and function as miRNAs, responsible for RNA interference | |
| 338702768 | transcription factor | A regulatory protein that binds to DNA and stimulates transcription of specific genes. | |
| 338702769 | transposon | A transposable genetic element that moves within a genome by means of a DNA intermediate. | |
| 338702770 | tumor-suppressor gene | a gene whose protein products inhibit cell division, thereby preventing uncontrolled cell growth (cancer) |
