- allele
: one of two (or multiple) alternative
forms of a gene
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- amino
acids:
the subunits of proteins. There
are twenty amino acids universally found in proteins.(D,A)
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- antibodies:
proteins
which react with invading microorganisms and the poisonous
substances that they produce. Antibodies mark the foreign
bodies for destruction by the immune system. (D,A)
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- ATP:
adenosine
triphosphate. An energy source for the cell (note the
difference between dATP and ATP)
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- autosome:
any
chromosome that is not a sex chromosome
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- carbohydrates:
a
compound that has the general formula CxH2xOx.
Common examples of carbohydrates are glucose, cellulose,glycogen,
and starches.(D)
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- catalyst:
a
substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction
without being consumed. Enzymes are biological catalysts.(D,A)
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- chromosomes:
one of the threadlike structures
consisting of chromatin and carrying genetic information
arranged in a linear sequence. (D)
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- cloning
vector: often a small self-replicating DNA
(for example, a plasmid) that can harbor foreign DNA.
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- conjugated
protein: simple
proteins combined, or joined, with non-protein substances.
The blood protein Hemeglobin is an example,
since it can be split into two seperate substances:
heme, which is a simple protein, and globin,
an iron-containing substance.(A)
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- denaturation:
the
loss of the native shape and arrangement of macromolecules
resulting from heat, extreme pH changes, chemical treatment,
etc. Denaturation of proteins often results in an unfolding
of polypeptide chains, while denaturation of DNA leads
to changes in its physical properties.(D,A)
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- deoxyribonucleic
acid: DNA,
the molecular basis of heredity. DNA consists of a polysugar-phosphate
backbone from which the purines and pyrimidines project.
According to the Watson-Crick model, DNA forms a double
helix that is held together by hydrogen bonds between
specific pairs of bases (thymine to adenine, and cytosine
to guanine.) Each strand in the double helix is complimentary
to its partner strand in terms of its base sequence.(D)
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- diploid:
an organism or cell with 2 sets of each chromosome (2n)
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- electroporation:
process by which cell membranes
are made temporarily permeable by applying electric
current (often used to introduce foreign DNA).
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- enzymes:
proteins
that catalyze, or speed up, reactions. Extremely specific,
enzymes catalyze reactions involving only one or a few
closely related compounds. (D)
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- eukaryote:
the
superkingdom containing all organisms that are, or consist
of, cells with true nuclei bounded by nuclear envelopes
and that undergo meiosis. Contrast with prokaryote,
below.
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- gene:
a hereditary unit located at a fixed position in the
genome that yields a specific biological function.
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- gene
transcription: process by which a gene is used
as a template for the synthesis of a messenger RNA (which
can then be translated).
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- gene
translation: process
that decodes messenger RNA for the synthesis of proteins.
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- genome:
a complete set of chromosomes.
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- hydroxyl
group:
the
oxygen-hydrogen group in certain molecules, which can
be written "--OH."(A)
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- lipids:
Any
of a group of biochemicals that are variably soluble
in organic solvents like alcohol and barely soluble
in water. Some examples of lipds are fats and oils (like
butter or olive oil,) as well as waxes.(A)
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- meiosis:
process
that leads to a reduction of chromosome number in reproductive
cells to one-half the number found in somatic (non-reproductive)
cells.
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- mitosis:
process by which the nucleus of
a eukaroytic cell divides
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- mutation:
1)the
process by which a gene undergoes a structural change.
2) a modified gene resulting from mutation. (D)
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- nucleoprotein:
a
compound of nucleic acid (see below) and protein.
(A)
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- nucleotide:
one of the monometric units from
which DNA and RNA are constructed, consisting of a purine
or pyrimidine base, a pentose, and a phosphoric acid
group. (D)
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- nucleic
acid: used
to store and transmit hereditary information in cells.
The unique interaction of nucleic acids with other nucleic
acids makes them ideally suited to this purpose. (D)
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- nucleus:
the
small, spheroidal, membrane-bounded central body of
eukaryotic cells which contains DNA. (D, A)
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- peptides:
a
compound formed of two or more amino acids. (D)
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- peptide
linkage:
the
combination of atoms that makes up the union between
amino acids. (A)
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- polypeptides:
a
peptide made up of an undetermined number of amino acids.
(A)
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- prokaryote:
the
superkingdom containing all microorganisms that lack
a membrane-bound nucleus containing chromosomes. (D)
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- protein:
a
molecule composed of one or more polypeptide chains,
each composed of a linear chain of amino acids covalently
linked by peptide bonds. (D)
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- replication:
a
duplication process requiring copying from a template.
(D)
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- restriction
enzyme:
an enzyme that cuts a specific DNA sequence. Often used
to clone DNA.
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- simple
protein:
proteins
that are "all protein," since no portion of
their substance differs markedly in characteristics
from any other portion. Ex.: the protein in egg white.
(A)
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- valence:
1)
in chemistry, a number representing the combining or
displacing power of an atom; the number of electrons
lost, gained, or shared by an atom in a compound; the
number of hydrogen atoms with which an atom will combine,
or which it will displace. 2. in serology, the number
of antigen-combining sites on an antibody molecule.
(D)
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