DNA
RNA
Proteins
From DNA to RNA to Proteins
The Flow of Genetic Information
100
Deoxyribonucleic Acid. The genetic material that organisms inherit from their parents; a double stranded helical macromolecule consisting of nucleotide monomers with deoxyribose sugar and the nitrogenous bases adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and Thymine (T).
What is DNA?
100
Carries the genetic information from the nucleus to the site of protein synthesis (ribosome) in the cytoplasm to be translated. In non-eukaryotes such as bacteria; is produced and translated in the cytoplasm of the bacterial cell.
What is Messenger RNA?
100
A biological polymer constructed from amino acid monomers.
What is Protein?
100
A molecule consisting of two subunits that fit together and work as one to build proteins according to the genetic sequence held within the messenger RNA (mRNA). Using the mRNA as a template, the ribosome traverses each codon, pairing it with the appropriate amino acid. This is done through interacting with transfer RNA (tRNA) containing a complementary anticodon on one end and the appropriate amino acid on the other.
What is Ribosomes?
100
the genetic features and constitution of a single organism, species, or group.
What is a Trait?
200
A threadlike, gene-carrying structure found in the nucleus of a eukaryotic cell; also the main gene-carrying structure of a prokaryotic cell.
What is Chromosome?
200
Short-chain rna molecules present in the cell (in at least 20 varieties, each variety capable of combining with a specific amino acid) that attach the correct amino acid to the protein chain that is being synthesized at the ribosome of the cell (according to directions coded in the mRNA).
What is Transfer RNA?
200
The process whereby genetic information flows from genes to proteins; the flow of genetic information from the genotype to the phenotype.
What is Gene Expression?
200
The first level of protein stricture; the specific sequence of amino acids making up a polypeptide chain.
What is Primary Structure?
200
A three-nucleotide sequence in mRNA that specifies a particular amino acid or polypeptide termination signal; the basic unit of the genetic code.
What are Codons?
300
An alternative form of a gene.
What is Allele?
300
An enzyme that links together the growing chain of RNA nucleotides during transcription , using a DNA strand as a template.
What is RNA Polymerase ?
300
An organic molecule containing a carboxyl group group and an amino group; serves as the monomer of proteins.
What is Amino Acid?
300
The fourth level of protein structure; the shape resulting from the association of two or more polypeptide subunits.
What is Quaternary Structure?
300
On a tRNA molecule, a specific sequence of three nucleotides that is complementary to a codon triplet on mRNA.
What is Anticodons?
400
A nucleic acid that carries the genetic information in the cell and is capable of self-replication and synthesis of RNA.
What is Daughter DNA?
400
The type of ribonucleic acid that, together with proteins, makes up ribosomes; the most abundant type of RNA.
What is Ribosomal RNA?
400
The physical process by which a polypeptide folds into its characteristic and functional three-dimensional structure from random coil.
What is Protein Folding?
400
DNA sequence at the end of a transcription unit that causes rNA polymerase to stop transcription.
What is a Terminator?
400
The synthesis of RNA on a DNA template.
What is Transcription?
500
The gene segment that serves as the initiation site where RNA polymerase binds to and initiates the transcription of certain genes.
What is a Promoter?
500
The modification of newly formed RNA transcripts to produce functional messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules.
What is RNA processing?
500
A chain of amino acids linked by peptide bonds.
What is Polypeptide?
500
In eukaryotes, the RNA transcript may be modified before it is sent to the cytoplasm to be translated into a protein.
What is RNA Splicing?
500
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.
What is Translation?
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