Word cards/games
Activities used to enable learning new words and concepts in a fun and interactive way
Concept map- Ask them to form groups of three and arrange a concept map with one set of
the words. This is a useful activity to conceptualise the material.
If time and resources permits this activity could be done individually. By doing the activity
individually on a large sheet of paper and asking the students to write on the paper how the
terms are linked. An increased insight into the student’s conceptions could be gained.
Word game - Give students relevant word cards (see below) Ask them to pair the word with
its definition
Fun Interactive Word review game











Place the students in groups of 3-4 students.
Each group uses one set of cards
Place the cards with the writing facing down on the desk
One student takes the top card and gives clues to help the other students guess the
word written on the card
Students should be instructed to use only biological hints or clues (e.g. no "sounds
like" or references to popular culture).
If the student who picks up a card does not know how to explain it, show it to the
other students and get help with a definition, then place the card at the bottom of
the pack again.
Pick up a new card
The person who guesses the target word correctly gets the card and takes the next
card from the deck to give clues to the other students.
If a student picks up the cards with the definition on it he reads it out and whoever
calls out the right term gets the card
Once the deck is completed the student with the most cards is the winner.
Alternatively, two students can play together and there will not be a winner (or
loser).
(Activity modified from activity from Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania, USA website
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/bioactivities/cellvocab)
Material needed: A set of 34 relevant word and definition are enclosed below. (Photocopy
and laminate).
Reference: Words and definitions from the vcaa study site and pictures selected from Google
images.
tRNA
Translation
Transcription
Stop codon
UAA
UAG
Semiconservative
replication
UGA
A molecule found in the
cytoplasm of a cell which
brings specific amino acids to
the ribosome to be formed
into a polypeptide
The process of protein
synthesis that occurs in the
cytoplasm of cells. The
mRNA molecule is read by the
ribosomes and amino acids are
ordered to form a polypeptide
The synthesis of mRNA from
a template strand of DNA in
the nucleus
A sequence of three
nucleotides that codes
for the end of a gene
The replication of DNA that
results in each new double stranded
DNA consists of one strand from
the original molecule and one newly
synthesized strand
RNA
polymerase
Primers
Polypeptide
Plasmid
Mutagen
An enzyme that
produces RNA
A short fragment of RNA that is
complementary to a region of single
stranded DNA and is able to bind to
it, stimulating the enzyme DNA
polymerase to copy the nucleotide
bases on the exposed section of
DNA near the primer and create a
double stranded molecule
A molecule consisting of a
single chain of many amino
acids linked together by
peptide bonds
A piece of DNA found in
bacteria and yeast that is able
to replicate independently of
the main chromosome/s of the
cell
An environmental influence that
is able to cause change in one
or more nucleotide bases of the
genetic material
Genotype
Phenotyp e
PCR
Nucleotides
The genetic profile of an
individual- the range of
alleles of each gene the
organism possesses.
The visible physical or nonvisible physiological
outcomes of gene
expression ( also dependent
on environment)
a procedure in which the
enzyme DNA polymerase is
used to clone (copy exactly) a
specific sequence of DNA
without the need of a living cell
a sub-unit of nucleic acids
that has a distinct
structure consisting of a 5carbon sugar, a phosphate
group and a nitrogenous
base
Mutation
A change in the sequence
of nucleotide bases of the
genetic material
mRNA
Locus
Intron
The group of RNA molecules
that transcribes the genetic
information from the DNA in
the nucleus
The position of a gene
on a chromosome
A nucleotide sequence of a
gene that doesn’t code for
a gene product or control
sequence and is thus taken
out during transcription
Insertion
Gene linkage
Genome
Gene expression
the addition of one or
more nucleotides to a
DNA sequence
Traits that tend to be
inherited together as they
are located on the same
chromosome
The total DNA of the
haploid set of chromosomes
in an organism
Conversion of the
information held in DNA to
mRNA and then to a
protein or other functional
gene product
Gene
Frameshift mutation
Exon
An inherited unit of DNA
molecules (chromosomes)
that controls a structure or
function of an organism
A type of mutation caused
by the deletion or addition
of a single nucleotide in a
codon that results in a
change in the reading
frame of the codonsshifts the whole sequence
A nucleotide sequence of a
gene that codes for an
amino acid sequence or a
control sequence
DNA
template
The strand of DNA that
acts as a ‘template’ for
mRNA in the process of
transcription
DNA
sequencing
Sequencing methods for
determining the specific
base sequence in DNA
DNA
polymerase
DNA ligase
The enzyme that catalyzes the
assembly of deoxyribonucleoside
triphosphate building blocks
onto the DNA in the 3’ to 5’
direction
The enzyme that
synthesizes bonds
between adjacent
nucleotides
Deletion
Allele
Anticodon
Chromosome
The process of removal of one
or more bases from DNA or of
a section of a DNA molecule
from a chromosome
A variation of a
gene
A sequence of three
nucleotides on a molecules of
tRNA that is complementary
to the base sequences on a
codon of mRNA
A structure containing DNA
and proteins which carry
genetic information (linear in
eukaryotes, ring shaped in
prokaryotes)
A group of three
nucleotides (triplet) of
DNA or RNA
Codon
Reference: Words and definitions from vcaa study site and pictures selected from Google images.