Gene Expression & Technology Vocabulary
1. Ribonucleic acid: the working instructions of the genes
2. Uracil: one of the four nitrogen bases for RNA that pairs up with adenine; it
replaces the bases thymine
3. Gene expression: the process of information from DNA to proteins
4. Transcription: the information in DNA is transferred to mRNA
5. Translation: the information in mRNA is used to make a protein
6. RNA polymerase: an enzyme that begins transcription
7. Promoter: a specific sequence of DNA that acts as a “start” signal for
transcription
8. Terminator: a sequence of bases that tells the RNA polymerase to stop adding
nucleotides
9. Messenger RNA: carries hereditary information from DNA and delivers it to the
site of translation
10. Transfer RNA: acts as an interpreter molecule, translating mRNA sequences into
amino acid sequences
11. Ribosomal RNA: help build proteins; they function at the sites of translation
12. Codons: the instructions for building a protein that are written as a series of 3nucleotide sequences
13. Genetic code: the amino acids and stop signals that are coded for by each of the
possible mRNA codons
14. Anticodon: the 3-nucleotide sequence that is complimentary to the one of the 64
codons of the genetic code
15. A site: holds a tRNA molecule that is carrying its specific amino acid
16. P site: holds a tRNA molecule that is carrying its specific amino acid attached to
the growing protein chain
17. Mutagens: mutations that are induced by exposure to environmental agents
18. Carcinogens: cancer-causing agents
19. Cancer: a disease characterized by abnormal cell growth
20. Tumor: the cancerous cells that proliferates, forming a mass of cells
21. Oncogene: a gene, that when mutated, can cause a cell to be cancerous
22. Genetic engineering: the process used to isolate a gene from the DNA of one
organism and transfer the gene into the DNA of another
23. Recombinant DNA: a molecule made from pieces of DNA from separate
organisms
24. Cloning: creating genetically identical cells from a single cell
25. Gel electrophoresis: a technique that uses an electrical field within a gel to
separate molecules in a mixture
26. Human Genome Project: a research effort to identify and locate the entire
collection of genes in a human cell
Gene Expression & Technology Vocabulary
Chapter 11 pages: 294-307
1. Ribonucleic acid
2. Uracil
3. Gene expression
4. Transcription
5. Translation
6. RNA polymerase
7. Promoter
8. Terminator
9. Messenger RNA
10. Transfer RNA
11. Ribosomal RNA
12. Codons
13. Genetic code
14. Anticodon
15. A site
16. P site
17. Mutagens
18. Carcinogens
19. Cancer
20. Tumor
21. Oncogene
22. Genetic engineering
23. Recombinant DNA
24. Cloning
25. Gel electrophoresis
26. Human Genome Project