DNA, RNA and Protein Synthesis Vocabulary

DNA

1. Transformation-process in which one strain of bacteria is changed by a gene or genes from another strain of bacteria
2. Bacteriophage-kind of virus that infects bacteria
3. Base pairing-principle that bonds in DNA can form only between adenine and thymine and between guanine and cytosine
4. Replication-process of copying DNA prior to cell division
5. DNA Polymerase-principal enzyme involved in DNA replication
6. Telomere-repetitive DNA at the end of a eukaryotic chromosome

RNA and Protein Synthesis

1. RNA-ribonucleic acid; single-stranded nucleic acid that contains the sugar ribose
2. Messenger RNA-(mRNA)-type of RNA that carries copies of instructions for the assembly of amino acids into proteins from DNA to the rest of the cell
3. Ribosomal RNA-(rRNA) type of RNA that combines with proteins to form ribosomes
4. Transfer RNA-(tRNA)-type of RNA that carries each amino acid to a ribosome during protein synthesis
5. Transcription-synthesis of a RNA molecule from a DNA template
6. RNA Polymerase-enzyme that links together the growing chain of RNA nucleotides during transcription using a DNA strand as a template
7. Promoter-specific region of a gene where RNA polymerase can bind and begin transcription 
8. Intron-sequence of DNA that is not involved in coding for a protein
9. Exon-expressed sequence of DNA; codes for a protein
10. Polypeptide-long chain of amino acids that make protein.
11. Genetic Code-collection of codons of mRNA, each of which directs the incorporation of a particular amino acid into a protein during protein synthesis.
12. Codon-group of three nucleotide bases in mRNA that specify a particular amino acid to be incorporated into a protein
13. Translation-process by which the sequence of bases of mRNA is converted into the sequence of amino acids of a protein
14. Anticodon-group of three bases on a tRNA molecule that are complimentary to the three bases of a condon of mRNA 
15. Operon-in prokaryotes, a group of adjacent genes that share a common operator and promoter and are transcribed into a single mRNA

    16.  Operator-short DNA region, adjacent to the promoter of prokaryotic

         operon, that binds repressor proteins responsible for controlling the rate             of  transcription of the operon

17. Differentiation-process by which cells become specialized in structure and function

18.  Homeotic gene-a class of regulatory genes that determine the identity of             body parts and regions in an embryo; mutations in these genes can                     transform one body part into another

 19.  Mutation-change in the genetic material of a cell

 20.  Point Mutation-gene mutation in which a single base pair in DNA has been

        changed

21. Frameshift Mutation-mutation that shifts the “reading frame” of the genetic message by inserting or deleting a nucleotide
22. Mutagen-chemical or physical agents in the environment that interact with DNA and may cause a mutation
23. Polyploidy-condition in which an organism has extra sets of chromosomes