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  1. mitochondrion
    part of a cell involved in energy production
    Both plants and animals have an organelle-a "little organ" within the cell- called the mitochondrion.
  2. mRNA
    the template for protein synthesis
    Ribonucleic Acids
    In addition to mRNA, DNA codes for other forms of RNA, including ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), transfer RNAs (tRNAs), and small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs). rRNAs and tRNAs participate in protein assembly whereas snRNAs aid in a process called splicing -the process of editing of mRNA before it can be used as a template for protein synthesis.
  3. allele
    any of the forms of a gene that can occupy the same locus
    Methylation also plays an important role in genomic imprinting, which occurs when both maternal and paternal alleles are present but only one allele is expressed while the other remains inactive.
  4. codon
    a specific sequence of three adjacent nucleotides on a strand of DNA or RNA that specifies the genetic code information for synthesizing a particular amino acid
    Here the mRNA is translated into protein by decoding the mRNA sequence in blocks of three RNA bases, called codons, where each codon specifies a particular amino acid.
  5. globin
    a colorless protein obtained by removing heme from hemoglobin; the oxygen carrying compound in red blood cells
    The Globin Genes: An Example of Transcriptional Regulation

    An example of transcriptional control occurs in the family of genes responsible for the production of globin.
  6. allelic
    of or relating to alleles
    Determining the allelic condition used to be accomplished solely through the analysis of pedigrees, much the way Mendel carried out his experiments on peas.
  7. phenotype
    observable characteristics produced by genes and environment
    When two individuals display different phenotypes of the same trait, they are said to have two different alleles for the same gene.
  8. blood type
    human blood cells that have the same antigens
    Then there are the not so obvious genetic variations, such as blood type.
  9. gamete
    a mature sexual reproductive cell
    This is because mitochondria are only found in the female gametes or "eggs" of sexually reproducing animals, not in the male gamete, or sperm.
  10. amino acid
    organic compounds containing an amino group and acid group
    Proteins are long chains containing as many as 20 different kinds of amino acids.
  11. chromosome
    a threadlike strand of DNA that carries genes
    In 1909, Danish botanist Wilhelm Johanssen coined the word gene for the hereditary unit found on a chromosome.
  12. RNA
    a nucleic acid that helps synthesize proteins and transmit genetic data
    Because mitochondria have their own DNA, RNA, and ribosomes, this scenario is quite possible.
  13. Arabidopsis thaliana
    a small invasive self-pollinating weed with small white flowers; much studied by plant geneticists; the first higher plant whose complete genome sequence was described
    Gene Switching: Turning Genes On and Off

    The estimated number of genes for humans, less than 30,000, is not so different from the 25,300 known genes of Arabidopsis thaliana, commonly called mustard grass.
  14. mutation
    a change or alteration in form or qualities
    There are many diseases caused by mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).
  15. gene
    part of DNA controlling physical characteristics and growth
    The biological information contained in a genome is encoded in its deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and is divided into discrete units called genes.
  16. base pair
    one of the pairs of chemical bases joined by hydrogen bonds that connect the complementary strands of a DNA molecule or of an RNA molecule that has two strands; the base pairs are adenine with thymine and guanine with cytosine in DNA and adenine with uracil and guanine with cytosine in RNA
    Thus, A-T and G-C base pairs are said to be complementary.
  17. centromere
    a specialized condensed region of each chromosome that appears during mitosis where the chromatids are held together to form an X shape
    The centromere, shown at the center of this chromosome, is a specialized structure that appears during cell division and ensures the correct distribution of duplicated chromosomes to daughter cells.
  18. recessive
    of or pertaining to a recession
    These factors each exhibit a characteristic dominant, co-dominant, or recessive expression, and those that are dominant will mask the expression of those that are recessive.
  19. DNA
    material that carries genetic information in a cell
    The biological information contained in a genome is encoded in its deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and is divided into discrete units called genes.
  20. Arabidopsis
    a genus of the mustard family having white or yellow or purplish flowers; closely related to genus Arabis
    Gene Switching: Turning Genes On and Off

    The estimated number of genes for humans, less than 30,000, is not so different from the 25,300 known genes of Arabidopsis thaliana, commonly called mustard grass.
  21. genome
    the full DNA sequence of an organism
    WHAT IS A GENOME?
  22. transcription
    something written, copied from one medium to another
    Transferring the code from DNA to RNA is a fairly straightforward process called transcription.
  23. molecule
    the simplest structural unit of an element or compound
    In a DNA chain, every base is attached to a sugar molecule (deoxyribose) and a phosphate molecule, resulting in a nucleic acid or nucleotide.
  24. cell
    the basic structural and functional unit of all organisms
    Genes instruct each cell type- such as skin, brain, and liver-to make discrete sets of proteins at just the right times, and it is through this specificity that unique organisms arise.
  25. organism
    a living thing that can act or function independently
    Every organism, including humans, has a genome that contains all of the biological information needed to build and maintain a living example of that organism.
  26. acid
    a sour water-soluble compound with a pH of less than 7
    The biological information contained in a genome is encoded in its deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and is divided into discrete units called genes.
  27. chemical
    produced by reactions involving atomic or molecular changes
    A DNA chain is made up of four chemical bases: adenine (A) and guanine (G), which are called purines, and cytosine (C) and thymine (T), referred to as pyrimidines.
  28. disease
    an impairment of health
    There are many diseases caused by mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).
Created on Mon Aug 20 15:36:38 EDT 2012

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