BIOTECHNOLOGY - definitions/descriptions
anticodon - complementary base sequence to codon on tRNA molecule e.g. CGA on alanine tRNA
bases - purines and pyrimidines which pair in DNA/RNA structure
base pairs - ADENINE and THYMINE (URACIL); GUANINE and CYTOSINE
codon - sequence of three bases on mRNA coding for a particuluar amino acid
DNA - deoxyribonucleic acid
exon - a sequence of bases in a gene which are part of the code for a sequence of amino-acids ( see introns)
intron - a sequence of bases in a gene which are nor part of the code for aminoacids are will be excised during transcription
mRNA - messenger RNA (transfers genetic code from nucleus to ribosome)
nucleotide - base + sugar + phosphate
plasmid - small piece of circular double stranded DNA found in bacteria and frequently carrying antibiotic resistance markers. Readily transferred between closely related bacteria
polymerases - enzymes involved in nucleic acid replication (either DNA or RNA )from a template
purines - adenine, guanine
pyrimidines - cytosine, thymine (DNA only), uracil (RNA only)
replication - synthesis of new DNA strands
restriction endonuclease - enzyme cutting a piece of DNA at a particular base endonuclease sequence
reverse transcriptase - an enzyme that converts RNA into DNA
ribosome - site of protein synthesis
RNA - ribonucleic acid
"sticky ends"- pieces of single stranded DNA left at end of DNA molecule after cutting with a restriction endonuclease
transcription - synthesis of mRNA from DNA template
translation - synthesis of protein from mRNA template
tRNA - transfer RNA (adds individual amino acid to mRNA)
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