Mutations
What is a Mutation?
Mutation is a general term for any change in the nucleotide sequence of DNA.
What is recombinant DNA?
This term refers to DNA that has been formed artificially by combining constituents from different organisms.
What are proteins?
Enzymes belong to this class of organic macromolecules.
What is to produce gametes cells?)
This is the primary purpose of meiosis in multicellular organisms.
What is translation?
This two-step process consists of transcription and this second step.
What is a silent mutation?
This type of point mutation occurs when one base is swapped for another, but the resulting amino acid stays the same.
What are restriction enzymes?
These "molecular scissors" are used to cut DNA at specific sequences.
What is activation energy?
Enzymes act as biological catalysts, meaning they speed up reactions by lowering this.
What is haploid?
This term describes a cell that contains only one set of chromosomes (n), such as a sperm or egg cell.
What is the ribosome?
This organelle is the physical site where proteins are assembled.
What are frameshift mutations?
These two types of mutations (insertion and deletion) shift the entire reading sequence of codons.
What is a plasmid?
This is a small, circular piece of bacterial DNA often used as a vector to carry foreign genes.
What is the active site?
This is the specific location on an enzyme where the substrate binds.
What is crossing over?
This process occurs during Prophase I where homologous chromosomes exchange genetic material.
What is mRNA or messenger RNA?
This molecule carries the genetic "blueprint" from the nucleus to the ribosome.
What are mutagens?
This term describes physical or chemical agents in the environment, like UV rays or tobacco smoke, that cause DNA damage.
What is Polymerase Chain Reaction?
This laboratory technique is used to make millions of copies of a specific DNA segment very quickly.
What is denatured?
When an enzyme loses its shape due to extreme heat or pH changes, it is said to be this.
What is four?
While mitosis produces two identical daughter cells, meiosis results in this many genetically unique cells.
What is a codon?
A sequence of three mRNA bases that codes for a specific amino acid is called this.
Recombinant DNA Process
Cutting DNA into smaller fragments and inserting it into another organism.
What are sticky ends?
These specific ends of DNA are left after being cut by a restriction enzyme, allowing them to easily bond with other DNA fragments.
What is ligase?
This enzyme is responsible for "pasting" DNA fragments together, often used in both replication and genetic engineering.
What is independent assortment?
This phenomenon describes how homologous pairs line up randomly at the cell equator, leading to further genetic variation.
What is tRNA or transfer RNA?
This molecule has an anticodon on one end and carries a specific amino acid on the other.