Biology

The study of the molecular basis of genes and gene expression; molecular genetics

A virus that infects bacteria; also called a phage

An organic monomer consisting of a five-carbon sugar covalently bonded to a nitrogenous base and a phosphate group. -----s are the building blocks of nucleic acid

A polymer made up of many nucleotides covalently bonded together

The alternating chain of of sugar and phosphate to which the DNA and RNA nitrogenous bases are attached

A single-ring nitrogenous base found in DNA

A single-ring nitrogenous base found in DNA and RNA

A double-ring nitrogenous base found in DNA and RNA

A double-ring nitrogenous base found in found in DNA and RNA

A fluid-filled inner ear chamber containing hair cells that detect the position of the head relative to gravity

The form of native DNA, referring to its two adjacent polynucleotide strands wound into a spiral shape

An enzyme that assembles DNA nucleotides into polynucleotides using a preexisting strand of DNA as a template

An enzyme essential for DNA replication that catalyzes the covalent bonding of adjacent DNA nucleotides; used in genetic engineering to paste a specific piece of DNA containing a gene of interest into a bacterial plasmid or other vector

The synthesis of RNA on a DNA template

The synthesis of a polypeptide using the genetic information encoded in an mRNA molecule. There is a change of "language" from nucleotides to amino acids

A set of three-nucleotide-long words that specify the amino acids for polypeptide chains
----or----
The set of rules giving the correspondence between nucleotide triplets (codons) in mRNA and amino acids in protein

A three-nucleotide sequence in mRNA that specifies a particular amino acid or polypeptide termination signal; the basic unit of the genetic code

An enzyme that links together the growing chain of RNA nucleotides during transcription using a DNA strand as a template

A specific nucleotide sequence in DNA located at the start of a gene that is the binding site for RNA polyerase and the place where transcriptions begins

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 departs from the gene

The type of ribonucleic acid that encodes genetic information from DNA and conveys it to ribosomes where the information is translated into amino acid sequences

In eukaryotes, a nonexpressed (noncoding) portion of a gene that is exiced from the RNA transcript

In eukaryotes, a coding portion of a gene

The removal of introns and joining of exons in eukaryotic RNA, forming an mRNA molecule with a continuous coding sequence; occurs before mRNA leaves the nucleus

A type of ribonucleic acid that functions functions as an interpreter in translation. Each tRNA molecule has a specific anti-codon, picks up a specific amino acid and conveys the amino acid to the appropriate codon on mRNA

On a tRNA molecule a specific sequence of three nucleotides that is complementary to a codon triplet on mRNA

The type of ribonucleic acid that together with proteins makes up ribosomes; the most abundant type of RNA

On mRNA the specific three-nucleotide sequence (AUG) to which an initiator tRNA molecule binds, starting translation of genetic information

In mRNA, one of three triplets (UAG, UAA, AGA) that signal gene translation of genetic information

A change in a chromosome resulting from a chromosomal fragment attaching to a nongomologous chromosome; can occur as a result of an error in a meiosis or from mutagenesis

A change in the nucleotide sequence of DNA; the ultimate source of genetic diversity

The way in which a cell's mRNA-translating machinery groups the mRNA nucleotides into codons

The creation of a mutation

A chemical or physical agent that interacts with DNA and causes a mutation

A type of viral replication cycle resulting in the release of new viruses by lysis (breaking open) of the host cell

A type of bacteriophage replication cycle in which the viral genome is incorporated into the bacterial host chromosome as a prophage; new phages are not produced and the host cell not killed or lysed unless the viral genome leaves the host chromosome

Phage DNA that has inserted by genetic recombination into the the DNA of a prokaryotic chromosome

An RNA virus that reproduces by means of a DNA molecule; it reverse-transcribes its RNA into DNA inserts the DNA into a cellular chromosome and then transcribes more copies of the RNA from the viral DNA. HIV and a number of cancer-causing viruses are ------s

An enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of DNA on an RNA template

Aquirred immune deficiency syndrome; the late stages of HIV infection; characterized by a reduced number of T cells; usually results in death caused by other diseases

Human immunodeficiency virus the retrovirus that attacks the human immune system and causes AIDS