Vocabulary Terms
Definitions
Messenger RNA
Copies DNA in the nucleus, carries
info for protein making to ribosomes
Ribosomal RNA
Reads and decodes mRNA
Transfer RNA
Carries the amino acids to the
ribosomes and orders the amino acids
and joins them to form proteins
Double helix
The structure of DNA
Nucleotide
Form the basic structural unit of
nucleic acids such as DNA
Protein synthesis
The assembly of amino acids by RNA
into proteins
Copying DNA code into mRNA
Transcription
Replication
DNA replication is the process of
producing two identical replicas from
one original DNA molecule
Codon
Set of 3 bases that code for an amino
acid
Anti-codon
A complementary codon on tRNA to
determine the order of the amino
acids
Polypeptide
Chains of amino acids
Gene
A unit of heredity that is transferred
from a parent to offspring and is held
to determine some characteristic of
the offspring
Protein
Organic compounds that consist of
large molecules composed of one or
more long chains of amino acids and
are an essential part of all living
organisms. **the are the building
blocks of life
Amino acid
Enzyme
The basic units of proteins…they make
up proteins
A special protein that can speed up
or slow down or regulate a chemical
process
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid – found in the
nucleus of all cells. Contains the
genetic information for that organisms
Deoxyribose sugar
Found in the DNA nucleotide
Found in the RNA nucleotide
Ribose sugar
Uracil
A nitrogen base found in
RNA..matches with adenine
Nitrogen bases
Found in the DNA and RNA
structure…they pair AT- CG in DNA
In RNA
A- U C- G
Replication:
 If performed in the nucleus by mRNA it is also called
transcription
 The DNA double helix is unzipped and a strand of mRNA is
made on one pattern (side)
The importance of proteins:
 A protein is an essential nutrient which helps form the structural
component of body tissues and is used within many biological
processes
 Messenger RNA (mRNA)
o Copies DNA in the nucleus and carries the info to the
ribosomes
 Ribosomal RNA (rRNA):
o Makes up a large part of the ribosome; reads and
decodes mRNA
 Transfer RNA (tRNA):
o Carries amino acids to the ribosomes where they are
joined to form proteins
 RNA is a nucleus acid messenger between DNA and ribosomes
 DNA contains all your hereditary info
 Genes code for EVERYTHING our body needs and does
 Because it is so large, it is stuck inside the nucleus
 DNA needs a messenger to move the info from the nucleus to
protein production locations
 Is the assembly of amino acids into proteins
 It involves 2 steps:
o Transcription- copies DNA code
o Translation- read mRNA code
BE ABLE TO COMPARE AND CONTRAST DNA AND RNA