Unit 6 Collumn 2 Flashcards
(54 cards)
Gene Expression
The process by which a gene gets turned on in a cell to make RNA and proteins
Genome
the complete set of genes or genetic material present in a cell or organism
Structural Gene
a gene that codes for proteins or RNA that contribute to an organism’s physical structure
Operator
a DNA sequence that controls whether genes in an operon are transcribed. Binding site of repressor protein
Operon
a group of genes that are controlled by a single promoter and are transcribed together as a single mRNA
Lac Operon
Operon responsible for production of Lactase, first operon discovered, inducible
Inducible
a set of genes that are turned on by a specific stimulus, such as a molecule called an inducer, which removes repressor protein
Repressible
a group of genes that are usually on but can be turned off in response to environmental conditions by a repressor protein.
Allosteric Inhibitor
a molecule that binds to a site on an enzyme (called the allosteric site) other than the active site, causing a change in the enzyme’s shape and function
Repressor Protein
a protein that inhibits or regulates gene expression by binding to a specific DNA sequence called an operator
Regulator Gene
a gene that controls the expression of other genes. This includes the amount and quality of the expression
Inducer
a small molecule that turns on an operon, or group of genes. Lactose is an example.
Promoter
a DNA sequence that initiates transcription of an operon, is not coding and binding site of RNA polymerase
Euchromatin
a loosely packed form of chromatin within the nucleus of eukaryotic cells, characterized by being gene-rich and actively transcribed
Intron
a noncoding DNA sequence that is removed from a gene before it is translated into a protein. Introns are found in most eukaryotic genes but not prokayotes
Exon
a segment of a DNA or RNA molecule containing information coding for a protein or peptide sequence. “EXpressed”
Pre-mRNA
a long RNA molecule that contains the instructions for making a protein. It’s the primary transcript of a gene before splicing.
Transcription Factors
proteins that regulate gene expression by binding to specific DNA sequences
Enhancer
DNA sequences that regulate gene transcription by activating promoters. They are key to gene expression during differentiation and can be located thousands of base pairs away from the gene they regulate.
Methylation
a chemical process that adds a methyl group to DNA, which can alter gene expression. This epigenetic mechanism can be passed down through generations
Acetylation
an epigenetic modification that involves the addition of acetyl groups to DNA repair proteins and histones causing DNA to loosen from histones so it can be transcribed
Histone
proteins that help condense DNA into chromatin and form chromosomes
Silencer Protein
a class of DNA elements that recruit proteins to repress transcription
Activator Protein
proteins that play a crucial role in gene expression by enhancing the transcription of specific genes. They bind to DNA sequences called enhancers or promoter regions, located near or within the gene, and stimulate the recruitment of RNA polymerase