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Factors Affecting Gene Expression definitions

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  • Central Dogma
    Describes the one-way flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein, highlighting the irreversibility of protein synthesis from nucleic acids.
  • Transcription
    The process where RNA is synthesized using a DNA template, resulting in a complementary RNA strand, primarily mRNA.
  • Translation
    The cellular process where ribosomes use mRNA sequences to assemble amino acids into a polypeptide chain, forming proteins.
  • Promoter
    A specific DNA sequence where RNA polymerase binds to initiate transcription of a gene.
  • Terminator
    A DNA sequence signaling the end of transcription, causing RNA polymerase to release the newly made RNA.
  • RNA Polymerase
    The primary enzyme responsible for synthesizing RNA from a DNA template during transcription, without requiring a primer.
  • Pre-mRNA
    The initial RNA transcript produced in eukaryotes, containing both introns and exons, and requiring processing before translation.
  • 5' Cap
    A modified guanine nucleotide added to the 5' end of pre-mRNA, aiding in nuclear export, stability, and ribosome attachment.
  • Poly-A Tail
    A stretch of adenine nucleotides added to the 3' end of pre-mRNA, enhancing mRNA stability and facilitating export from the nucleus.
  • Intron
    A noncoding region within a gene or pre-mRNA that interrupts coding sequences and is removed during RNA splicing.
  • Exon
    A coding region within a gene or mRNA that remains after splicing and is ultimately translated into protein.
  • Spliceosome
    A large RNA-protein complex responsible for removing introns and joining exons during RNA splicing in eukaryotes.
  • Alternative Splicing
    A process allowing a single gene to produce multiple mRNA variants by varying the combination of exons included in the final transcript.
  • Genetic Code
    A universal set of rules that translates mRNA codons into specific amino acids, linking nucleic acid sequences to protein structure.
  • Codon
    A three-nucleotide sequence in mRNA that specifies a particular amino acid or signals termination during translation.
  • Anticodon
    A three-nucleotide sequence on tRNA that pairs with a complementary mRNA codon during translation.
  • Ribosome
    A complex molecular machine composed of rRNA and proteins, serving as the site of protein synthesis during translation.
  • tRNA
    A type of RNA molecule that carries specific amino acids to the ribosome, matching its anticodon to mRNA codons during translation.
  • Post-Translational Modification
    Covalent chemical changes to a protein after translation, such as methylation or phosphorylation, altering protein function or stability.
  • Mutation
    A permanent alteration in the DNA sequence, potentially affecting RNA and protein products, and contributing to genetic diversity.
  • Point Mutation
    A genetic change involving the substitution of a single nucleotide, which may be silent, missense, or nonsense in effect.
  • Frameshift Mutation
    A genetic alteration caused by insertion or deletion of nucleotides, shifting the reading frame and altering downstream amino acids.