DNA Structures
What are sugar and phosphate groups?
The backbone of the DNA molecule is formed by alternating sugar and phosphate groups.
What is a monohybrid cross?
A monohybrid cross examines the inheritance of one trait.
What is a point mutation?
A point mutation involves the substitution of one base pair for another in the DNA sequence.
What is meiosis?
Meiosis is the process that results in the formation of four non-identical daughter cells, each with half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell.
What is ATP?
ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is the main energy currency of the cell.
What are nitrogenous bases?
The rungs of the DNA ladder are formed by pairs of nitrogenous bases: adenine (A) pairs with thymine (T), and cytosine (C) pairs with guanine (G).
What are capital and lowercase letters?
In a Punnett square, capital letters represent dominant alleles, and lowercase letters represent recessive alleles.
What are germ cells?
Mutations that occur in germ cells (sperm or egg cells) can be passed on to offspring.
What are reproductive cells (or germ cells)?
Meiosis occurs in reproductive cells (or germ cells) to produce gametes (sperm and egg cells).
What is glycolysis?
Glycolysis is the process that breaks down glucose to produce ATP in the absence of oxygen.
What is Chargaff's rule?
Chargaff's rule states that in DNA, the amount of adenine (A) is always equal to the amount of thymine (T), and the amount of cytosine (C) is always equal to the amount of guanine (G).
What is 3:1?
The ratio of phenotypes in a monohybrid cross between two heterozygous individuals is 3:1, with three showing the dominant trait and one showing the recessive trait.
What is a nonsense mutation?
A nonsense mutation is a type of mutation that results in a premature stop codon, leading to a truncated and usually nonfunctional protein.
What is prophase I?
During prophase I of meiosis, homologous chromosomes pair up and exchange segments in a process called crossing over.
What is the Krebs cycle (or citric acid cycle)?
The Krebs cycle (or citric acid cycle) occurs in the mitochondria and generates electron carriers (NADH and FADH2) for the electron transport chain.
What is a double helix?
The shape of the DNA molecule is described as a double helix.
What is homozygous?
When two alleles are identical, the genotype is described as homozygous.
What are mutagens?
Mutagens, such as UV light and chemicals, can cause mutations by altering the DNA sequence.
What is genetic diversity?
The random assortment of chromosomes during meiosis leads to genetic diversity in the offspring.
What is the electron transport chain?
The final stage of cellular respiration, where the majority of ATP is produced, takes place in the electron transport chain within the inner mitochondrial membrane.
What is DNA replication?
The process by which DNA makes an exact copy of itself is called DNA replication.
What are Punnett squares?
Punnett squares are tools used to predict the probability of offspring inheriting particular traits.
What is an insertion mutation?
An insertion mutation is a type of mutation where a segment of DNA is inserted into a gene, potentially disrupting its function.
What is the end of meiosis I?
The end of meiosis I results in two daughter cells, each with half the number of chromosomes as the original cell.
What is oxidative phosphorylation?
Oxidative phosphorylation is the process that involves the transfer of electrons through a series of proteins embedded in the inner mitochondrial membrane, leading to the production of ATP.