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Alkaptonuria
an autosomal recessive trait with altered metabolism of homogentisic acid. Affected individuals do not produce the enzyme needed to metabolize this acid, and their urine turns black
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Amino Acid
One of the 20 subunits of proteins. Each contains an amino group, a carboxyl group, and an R group
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Codon
Triplets of nucleotides in mRNA that encolde the information for a specific amino acid in a protein
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Stop Codon
A codon in mRNA that signals the end of translation. UAA, UAG, and UGA are stop codons
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Start Codon
A codon present in mRNA that signals the location for translation to begin. AUG
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pre-messenger RNA (pre-mRNA)
The transcript made from the DNA template that is processed and modified to form messenger RNA
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Transcription
Transfer of genetic information from the base sequence of DNA to the base sequence of an mRNA molecule into the linear sequence of amino acids in a protein
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Introns
DNA sequences present in some genes that are transcribed but are removed during processing and therefore are not present in mature mRNA
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Exons
DNA sequences that are transcribed joined to other exons during mRNA processing, and translated into the amino acid sequence of a protein
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cap
A modified base (guanine nucleotide) attached to the 5' end of eukaryotic mRNA molecules
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Poly-A tail
A series of A nucleotides added to the 3' end of mRNA molecules
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Amino Group
A chemical group NH2 found in amino acids and at one end of a polypeptide chain
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Carboxyl Group
a chemical group COOH found in amino acids and at one end of a polypeptide chain
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R group
each amino acid has a different side chain, called an __________, it can be positively or negatively charged of neutral
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Polypeptide
a molecule made of amino acids joined together by peptide bonds
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N-terminus
the end of a polypeptide of protein that has a free carboxyl group
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C-terminus
The end of a polypeptide or protein that has a free carboxyl group
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Ribosomes
Cytoplasmic particle composed of tow subunits that are the site of protein synthesis
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Ribosomal RNA
RNA molecules that are part of the Ribosome
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Transfer RNA
A small RNA molecule that contains a binding site for a specific type of amino acid and has a three-base segment known as an anticodon that recognizes a specific base sequence in messenger RNA
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Anticodon
A group of three nucleotides in a tRNA molecule that pairs with a complementary sequence (known as a codon) in an mRNA moleucle
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Initiation complex
formed by the combination of mRNA, tRNA, and the small ribosome subunit. The firs step in translation
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Peptide bond
A covalent chemical link between the carboxyl group of one amino acid and the amino group of another amino acid
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Polysomes
a mRNA molecule with several ribosomes attached
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Primary Structure
The amino acid sequence in a polypeptide chain
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Secondary structure
The pleated or helical structure in a protein molecule generation by the formation of bonds between amino acids
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Tertiary structure
the three dimensional structure of a protein molecule brought about by folding on itself
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Quaternary Structure
the structure formed by the interaction of two or more polypeptide chains in a protein
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Prion
A protein folded into an infectious conformation that is the cause of several disorders, including Creutzfelt-Jakob disease and mad-cow disease
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Mad cow disease
a prion disease of cattle, also known as bocine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE
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Chromatin remodeling
The process of chemical changes to the DNA and histones that activate and inactivate gene expression
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RNA interference (RNAi)
A mechanism of gene regulation that controls the amounts of mRNA available for translation
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