Discover Biology, 5 th Ed., Anu Singh-Cundy & Michael Cain©2012 WW Norton & Co., New York
Chapter 14: DNA and Genes, pp 322 – 341.
Vocabulary Definitions
1 base pair; 2 DNA; 3 DNA polymerase; 4 DNA repair; 5 DNA replication; 6 exon; 7 gene;
8 gene expression; 9 genome; 10 housekeeping gene; 11 intron; 12 messenger RNA; 13 mutagen;
14 mutation; 15 nitrogenous base; 16 noncoding DNA; 17 operator; 18 promoter; 19 regulatory DNA;
20 regulatory protein; 21 repressor protein; 22 ribosome; 23 RNA; 24 semiconservative replication;
25 spacer DNA; 26 transcription; 27 translation; 28 transposon
1. nucleotide pair (A-T; C-G) that is held together by hydrogen bonds in a DNA molecule
2. deoxyribonucleic acid; double-stranded

helix composed of nucleotides encoding genetic material
3. key enzyme responsible for DNA replication; it “reads”, “writes”, & “proofreads” the DNA template
4. 3-step process by which damaged DNA is recognized, removed, & replaced with correct nucleotides
5. process by which DNA is copied
6. segment of genes that actually code for amino acids
7. the segment of DNA that codes for at least 1 distinct genetic trait
8. the manifestation of the information encoded in a gene as a specific genetic trait
9. all the DNA-based information in a prokaryotic nucleoid or eukaryotic nucleus
10. genes that play an essential role in the maintenance of cellular activity in all kinds of cells
11. noncoding stretches of DNA interspersed within eukaryotic genes
12. molecule whose function is to deliver DNA’s genetic information to the ribosomes
13. substances or energy sources that can alter DNA
14. a change in the sequence of bases in an organism’s DNA
15. in addition to a 5-C sugar & phosphate, this key element of a nucleotide includes adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, & uracil and is covalently bound to the sugar-phosphate backbone
16. DNA that does not code for any kind of functional RNA
17. a DNA sequence that controls the transcription of a gene cluster
18. segment of a gene that recruits the RNA polymerase & guides it to the transcription start site
19. DNA that can activate or inactivate gene transcription
20. proteins that interact with environmental signals & with regulatory DNA to promote or repress transcription, i.e., transcription factors
21. proteins that stop the expression of 1 or more genes
22. a ribosomal RNA/ protein macromolecule on which mRNA is decoded to produce specific proteins
23. ribonucleic acid; single-stranded, composed of nucleotides adenine, guanine, cytosine, & uracil
24. process by which DNA is copied in which each strand of the original DNA acts as a template for the synthesis of a new complementary strand
25. noncoding DNA that separates one gene from another
26. nuclear process whereby DNA’s genetic information is converted to a RNA-based sequence
27. the process by which ribosomes convert the genetic information in mRNA into specific proteins
28. “jumping genes”; DNA sequences that can move from 1 position on a chromosome to another, or even to another chromosome