Definitions to know!

Question 1

Activator

Answer 1

a protein that stimulates the expression of a gene, typically by acting at a promoter to stimulate RNA polymerase

Question 2

Allele

Answer 2

one of several forms of a gene inside the chromosome

Question 3

Basal factor

Answer 3

transcription factor required by RNA polymerase II to form the initiation complex at all promoters

Question 4

Basal transcription apparatus

Answer 4

the complex of transcription factors that assembles at the promoter before RNA polymerase is bound

Question 5

cDNA

Answer 5

single-stranded DNA complementary to an RNA, synthesized by reverse transcription

Question 6

Chaperones

Answer 6

proteins that bind to incompletely folded/assembled proteins to assist with folding

Question 7

Chromatin

Answer 7

state of nuclear DNA associated with proteins during interphase

Question 8

Chromatin remodeling

Answer 8

energy-dependent alteration of nucleosomes which occurs during activation of gene transcription

Question 9

Chromosome

Answer 9

unit of the genome which carries genes

Question 10

Co-activator

Answer 10

required for transcription but does not bind to DNA. allows DNA-binding factor to interact with the basal transcription factors

Question 11

Codon

Answer 11

triplet of nucleotides which represents an amino acid

Question 12

Core DNA

Answer 12

the 146 base pairs of DNA in a core particle

Question 13

Core histone

Answer 13

one of the histones found in the core particle derived from the nucleosome (does not include H1)

Question 14

Core particle

Answer 14

digestion product of the nucleosome that retains the histone octamer

Question 15

Core promotor

Answer 15

region surrounding start point to initiate transcription allowing RNA polymerase I to bind

Question 16

Co-repressor

Answer 16

triggers repression of transcription by binding to a regulator protein

Question 17

Enhancers

Answer 17

cis-acting DNA elements that increase the transcriptional output of target genes

Question 18

Epigenetic changes

Answer 18

influence phenotype without altering genotype

Question 19

Epitome

Answer 19

portion of an antigen recognized by the antigen receptor on lymphocytes

Question 20

Euchromatin

Answer 20

comprises all the genome in the interphase nucleus except for heterochromatin

Question 21

Exon

Answer 21

any segment of an interrupted gene

Question 22

Genome instability

Answer 22

a state of many changes in the genome, can cause generation of cancer cells

Question 23

Genome

Answer 23

made up of chromosomes and DNA organelles

Question 24

Haplotype

Answer 24

combination of alleles on a chromosome

Question 25

Histones

Answer 25

DNA-binding proteins that form the basic subunit of chromatin

Question 26

Intron

Answer 26

segment of DNA that is transcribed but removed from within the transcript by splicing together sequences (exons) on either side of it

Question 27

Locus

Answer 27

position on a chromosome at which the gene for a particular trait resides

Question 28

Nucleosome

Answer 28

basic structural unit of chromatin, contains DNA and histone proteins

Question 29

Promoter

Answer 29

directs transcription and is the starting point of RNA synthesis

Question 30

Silencing

Answer 30

repression of gene expression

Question 31

Single Nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)

Answer 31

a variation in sequence between individuals caused by a change in a single nucleotide. This is responsible for the most of the genetic variation between individuals.

Question 32

Synteny

Answer 32

a relationship between chromosomal regions of different species where homologous genes occur in the same order

Question 33

T(FII)D

Answer 33

transcription factor that binds to TATA sequence consisting of TBP (TATA binding protein) and the TAF subunits that bind to TBP

Question 34

Transcription Factor

Answer 34

protein required for RNA polymerase to initiate transcription

Question 35

Transcription Unit

Answer 35

distance between sites of initiation and termination by RNA polymerase

Question 36

Transgene

Answer 36

a gene that is introduced into a cell or animal from an external source