| A | B |
| A long molecule in the shape of a double helix and made up of nucleotides; contains genetic instructions | DNA |
| The type of molecule that makes up DNA and RNA; contains a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogen base | Nucleotide |
| The two scientists who discovered the structure and shape of DNA | Watson and Crick |
| A single strand of DNA tightly coiled around special proteins | Chromosome |
| The order of nucleotides that determines which protein is made | Nucleotide sequence |
| A section of DNA that carries the information on how to make one protein | Gene |
| Information is transferred from DNA to RNA to proteins, but once the information is in the form of a protein, the transfer is not reversed | Central Dogma of Molecular Biology |
| The process of copying a strand of DNA | DNA Replication |
| A single strand of nucleotides; different types are used to translate instructions from DNA into making proteins | RNA |
| The process occurring in the nucleus of a cell that copies the instructions from a part of DNA onto a strand of messenger RNA | Transcription |
| A type of RNA that transfers the code from DNA in the nucleus to the cytoplasm | Messenger RNA |
| A sequence of three nucleotide bases that represents the code for one amino acid | Codon |
| The process occurring in the cytoplasm of a cell that builds proteins | Translation |
| A type of RNA that "reads" the codons from messenger RNA | Ribosomal RNA |
| A type of RNA that carries an amino acid and transfers it to the protein chain being assembled in the ribosome | Transfer RNA |
| A sequence of three nucleotide bases that indicates the end of protein synthesis | Stop codon |
| Mistakes made in the DNA | Mutations |
| A mutation that changes one gene | Gene mutation |
| A type of gene mutation that occurs if a nucleotide is added, deleted, or changed in a nucleotide sequence; may result in one or more wrong amino acids being added to a protein | Point mutation |
| A gene mutation that occurs when a single nucleotide is added or deleted and causes a shift in how the codons are read; may result in one or more wrong amino acids being added | Frameshift mutation |
| A mutation caused when a chromosome or a part of a chromosome is duplicated, deleted, or attached incorrectly | Chromosomal mutation |
| A chromosomal mutation that occurs if a broken piece of a chromosome is reattached backwards | Inverson |
| A chromosomal mutation that occurs if a broken piece of a chromosome reattaches to another chromosome | Translocation |
| a laboratory analysis that identifies the unique nucleotide sequence of an organism's genome | DNA sequencing |
| undifferentiated cells that can differentiate into other types of specialized cells | Stem Cells |
| The term used when a chromosome doesn't separate correctly during meiosis; may result in a chromosomal mutation in offspring | Nondisjunction |
| A chromosomal mutation in which the affected person has three copies of chromosome 21 instead of just two; trisomy 21 | Down syndrome |
| A picture of an individual's chromosomes | Karyotype |
| a branch of science that studies gene function and expression and seeks to manipulate, modify, and /or transfer genes for useful purposes | DNA technology |
| The field of manipulating and changing an organism's DNA | Genetic engineering |
| an organism that has had its genes altered by adding or removing genetic material | Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) |
| Enzymes used to cut DNA into pieces | Restriction enzymes |
| A technology that separates DNA fragments so that they can be analyzed | Gel electrophoresis |
| A technique that uses gel electrophoresis to analyze a person's unique pattern of DNA | DNA fingerprinting |
| DNA that is formed by joining a short piece of DNA from one organism to the DNA of another organism | Recombinant DNA |
| all of an organism's hereditary information | Genome |
| Circular pieces of DNA found in bacterial cells | Plasmids |
| A term used to describe an organism that contains the DNA from a different organism | Transgenic organism |
| The process of creating an organism that is genetically identical to a donor organism | Reproductive cloning |
| The two nitrogenous bases, either adenine pairing with thymine or guanine pairing with cytosine, that are joined by a hydrogen bond and create a 'rung' on the DNA ladder | Base pair |
| the type of weak bond found between the complementary base pairs in a strand of DNA | Hydrogen Bond |
| the part of DNA that makes up the 'rungs' of the ladder-like structure; the four nitrogenous bases found in the DNA are adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G), and cytosine (C) | Nitrogenous base |
| the biological process of building proteins based on the DNA sequence | Protein synthesis |
| the sequence of three nucleotides on transfer RNA that pairs with the codons of messenger RNA | Anticodon |
| the bond between each amino acid in a protein | Peptide bond |
| the enzyme responsible for creating RNA from a DNA template | RNA polymerase |
| a chromosomal mutation that occurs when part of a chromosome is missing | Deletion |
| a chromosomal mutation that occurs when part of a chromosome is duplicated | Duplication |
| a disease caused by a defective gene or by a defective, missing, or extra chromosome | Genetic disorder |
| the process of creating a cloned embryo for the purpose of harvesting stem cells | Therapeutic Cloning |
| a genetic disorder caused when a male child is born with two X chromosomes in addition to a Y chromosome (XXY instead of XY) | Klinefelter's syndrome |
| the treatment of a disease or disorder by replacing diseased genes with healthy ones or by introducing new genes into cells | Gene therapy |
| a genetic disease caused by a point mutation in which a single base is substituted; results in a defective hemoglobin protein | Sickle cell disease |
| a chromosomal mutation that occurs if a broken piece of a chromosome reattaches to another chromosome | Translocation |
| a genetic disorder caused when a female child is born with only one complete X chromosome (XO instead of XX) | Turner's syndrome |
| an international effort completed in 2003 that determined the nucleotide sequences of human DNA and identified each human gene | Human Genome Project |
| a process of determining genetic variations individuals by identifying differences in nucleotide sequences | Genoytping |
| all of the proteins expressed by a cell, a tissue, or an organism | Proteome |
| all of the mRNA, or transcripts, produced by a type of cell, a tissue, or an organism | Transcriptome |