This flashcard set includes the vocabulary words and definitions from Chp 17: From Gene to Protein (Biology 8E by Campbell et al, 2008).
Terms : Hide Images
| 67087376 | gene expression | the process by which DNA directs the synthesis of proteins or, in some cases, just RNAs | |
| 67087377 | transcription | the synthesis of RNA using a DNA template | |
| 67087378 | messenger RNA | a type of RNA, synthesized using a DNA template, that attaches to ribosomes in the cytoplasm and specifies the primary structure of a protein | |
| 67087379 | translation | the synthesis of a polypeptide using the genetic information encoded in an mRNA molecule | |
| 67087380 | ribosome | a complex of rRNA and protein molecules that functions as a site of protein synthesis in the cytoplasm | |
| 67087381 | primary transcript | an initial RNA transcript; also called pre-mRNA when transcribed from a protein-coding gene | |
| 67087382 | triplet code | a set of three-nucleotide-long words that specify the amino acids for polypeptide chains | |
| 67087383 | template strand | the DNA strand that provides the pattern for ordering the sequence of nucleotides in an RNA transcript | |
| 67087384 | codon | a three nucleotide sequence of mRNA that specifies a particular amino acid or termination signal | |
| 67087385 | reading frame | on the mRNA, the triplet grouping of ribonucleotides used by the translation machinery during polypeptide synthesis | |
| 67087386 | RNA polymerase | an enzyme that links ribonucleotides into a growing RNA chain during transcription | |
| 67087387 | promoter | a specific nucleotide sequence in DNA that binds RNA polymerase, positioning it to start transcribing RNA at the appropriate place | |
| 67087388 | terminator | a 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 | |
| 67087389 | transcription unit | a region of DNA that is transcribed into an RNA molecule | |
| 67087390 | transcription factor | a regulatory protein that binds to DNA and affects transcription of specific genes | |
| 67087391 | transcription initiation complex | the completed assembly of transcription factors and RNA polymerase bound to the promoter | |
| 67087392 | TATA box | a DNA sequence in eukaryotic promoters crucial in forming the transcription initiation complex | |
| 67087393 | RNA processing | modification of RNA transcripts, including splicing out of introns, joining together of exons, and alteration of the 5' and 3' ends | |
| 67087394 | 5' cap | a modified form of guanine nucleotide added onto the nucleotide at the 5' end of a pre-mRNA molecule | |
| 67087395 | poly A tail | a sequence of 50-250 adenine nucleotides added onto the 3' end of a pre-mRNA molecule | |
| 67087396 | RNA splicing | after synthesis of a eukaryotic primary RNA transcript, the removal of portions (introns) of the transcript that will not be included in the mRNA | |
| 67087397 | intron | a noncoding, intervening sequence within a primary transcript that is removed from the transcript during RNA processing | |
| 67087398 | exon | a sequence within a primary transcript that remains in the RNA after RNA processing | |
| 67087399 | spliceosome | a 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 | |
| 67087400 | ribozyme | an RNA molecule that functions as an enzyme, catalyzing reactions during RNA splicing | |
| 67087401 | alternative RNA splicing | a 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 | |
| 67087402 | domain | an independently folding part of a protein | |
| 67087403 | transfer RNA | an 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 | |
| 67087404 | anticodon | a nucleotide triplet at one end of a tRNA molecule that recognizes a particular complementary codon on an mRNA molecule | |
| 67087405 | wobble | flexibility 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 | |
| 67087406 | ribosomal RNA | the most abundant type of RNA, which together with proteins makes up ribosomes | |
| 67087407 | A site | the place on a ribosome that holds the tRNA carrying the next amino acid to be added to the polypeptide chain | |
| 67087408 | P site | the place on a ribosome that holds the tRNA carrying the growing polypeptide chain | |
| 67087409 | E site | the place on a ribosome where discharged tRNAs leave the ribosome | |
| 67087410 | polyribosome | a group of several ribosomes attached to, and translating, the same messenger RNA molecule | |
| 67087411 | signal peptide | a 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 | |
| 67087412 | signal recognition particle | a 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 | |
| 67087413 | mutation | a change in the nucleotide sequence of an organism's DNA, ultimately creating genetic diversity | |
| 67087414 | point mutation | a change in a gene at a single nucleotide pair | |
| 67087415 | base pair substitution | a type of point mutation where one nucleotide and its partner in the complementary DNA strand are replaced by another pair of nucleotides | |
| 67087416 | missense mutation | a base-pair substitution that results in a codon that codes for a different amino acid | |
| 67087417 | nonsense mutation | a mutation that changes an amino acid codon to one of the three stop codons, resulting in a shorter and usually nonfunctional protein | |
| 67087418 | insertion | a mutation involving the addition of one or more nucleotide pairs to a gene | |
| 67087419 | deletion | a mutational loss of one or more nucleotide pairs from a gene | |
| 67087420 | frameshift mutation | a 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 | |
| 67087421 | mutagen | a chemical or physical agent that interacts with DNA and causes a mutation |
