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By lecture:
- October 22, 2002
- October 17, 2002
- October 15, 2002
- October 10, 2002
- October 08, 2002
- October 03, 2002
- October 01, 2002
- September 26, 2002
- September 24, 2002
- September 17, 2002
- September 12, 2002 included in Sept. 10th lecture
- September 10, 2002
- September 03, 2002
- August 29, 2002
- August 27, 2002
- August 22, 2002
- August 20, 2002
Alphabetically:
These terms are linked to the Oxford
Dictionary of Biology when possible. Other sources include the
National
Human Genome Research Institute's Talking Glossary (including
pronunciations!) and the DoE Human
Genome Project Glossary. When no official source is available,
you get our definition.
Jump to:
- Acid
- Acid Hydrolytic Enzyme
- Actin
- Activation Energy
- Activator
- Active Site
- Activity (In Chemical Sense)
- Adaptation
- Adenine
- Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)
- Adiabatic
- Advantageous mutation
- A mutation that increases the reproductive fitness of the organism carrying it.
- Affinity (Enzyme)
- Allele
- Allosteric
- Allosteric Regulation
- Alpha Carbon (Amino Acid)
- Alpha Helix
- Alpha-Ketoglutarate
- An intermediate in the Krebs cycle. Interconversion between this molecule and the amino acid glutamate is the gateway for nitrogen incorporation in the cell. See, e.g. http://www.orst.edu/instruction/bb450/winter2002/ch14/akglut.htm
- Amino Acid
- Anabolic Metabolism
- Angiosperms
- Anhydrous
- Aqueous Solution
- Archaea
- Aromatic
- Assortive mating
- Non-random selection of mating partners with respect to one or more traits; it is positive when like phenotypes mate more frequently than would be expected by chance and is negative when the reverse occurs. [Source: GrowFAQ]
- Atom
- ATP Synthase
- The enzyme which exploits a proton gradient to phosphorylate ADP to ATP, creating usable energy for the cell. Its mechanism involves circular motion. See, e.g. http://www.csun.edu/~hcchm001/wwwatp2.htm
- Attenuation
- Autosomal
- Any chromosome that is not involved in determining an organism's sex. Humans have 22 pairs of autosomal chromosomes in each cell. [Source: PhRMA Genomics Lexicon]
- Autotroph
- Balanced polymorphism
- Base
- Beta-Oxidation
- Bilateria
- Taxon containing all organisms with bilateral symmetry.
- Binary Fission
- Biochemistry
- Bond Energy
- Budding
- Carbon
- Carbon Chain
- A series of bonded carbon atoms in an organic compound. Compounds can involve straight chains (each carbon atom is bonded to one or two others) or branched chains (at least one carbon atom is bonded to three or more other carbons).
- Catabolic Metabolism
- Cell Cycle
- Cell membrane
- Cell Wall
- Cenancestor
- See Universal Ancestor
- Central Dogma
- Centromere
- (Membrane) Channel
- Charge
- Chemical Bond
- Chemical Properties
- Things such as reactivity, oxidation states, flammability, and corrosiveness. [Source: Chemical Glossary]
- Chemical Reaction
- Chemoautotroph
- Chemotaxis
- Chirality
- Chloroplast
- Chloroplasts
- Chordata
- Chromatid
- Chromatin
- Chromosome
- Cisternae
- Cladistics
- Coding Region
- Portions of a DNA molecule that encode a protein or functional RNA.
- Coenzyme
- Coevolution
- Commensalism
- Committed Step
- The first irreversible reaction in an enzymatic pathway
- Competition
- Compound
- Concentration
- Conformation
- Constitutive
- Genes which are always expressed in a cell. Compare inducible expression.
- Covalent Bond
- Cristae
- Cytochrome
- Cytokinesis
- Cytoplasm
- Cytoplasmic Dynein
- Cytosine
- Cytoskeleton
- Cytosol
- Deleterious mutation
- A mutation that decreases the reproductive fitness of the organism carrying it.
- Dinitrogen Heterocycle
- a heterocyclic compound with two nitrogen atoms in the ring.
- Diploid
- Directional selection
- Diversifying selection
- The natural selection strategy by which multiple phenotypes in a population are favored in different environments. Diversifying selection results in an overall increase in genetic diversity. [Source: about.com]
- DNA Gyrase
- DNA Helicase
- A class of enzymes which unwind DNA, e.g. for replication.
- DNA Ligase
- DNA Polymerase
- DNA Primase
- DNA Sequence
- Dominant
- Dynamic Equilibrium
Jump to:
- Efficiency (Enzyme)
- Kcat/Km (constant part of Vmax/Km) from Michaelis-Menton kinetics. Intuitively, the rate at which an enzyme converts a bound substrate into product. Compare affinity.
- Electron
- Electron Transport Chain
- Electrostatics
- Element
- Elongation Factor (Ribosome)
- Endomembrane System
- Endothermic
- Entropy
- Enzyme
- Equilibrium Constant
- Escalation
- A kind of preditor/prey coevolution in which attacks and defenses become increasingly effective. Controversial because it implies evolutionary progress over time
- Essential Amino Acids
- Euchromatin
- Eukaryotes
- Evolution
- Exaptation
- Exonuclease
- Exothermic
- Expression (Of A Gene)
- Extremophiles
- Feedback Inhibition
- Fermentation
- Fitness
- Fitness landscape
- A surface in genotype space indicating the fitness of each genotype.
- Flagellum
- Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization (FISH)
- A process by which specific molecules are tagged with fluorescent markers while still active in a cell. Used for visualizating the location (or change in location) of molecules in a cell.
- Founder Effect
- Function
- The role or activity of a biological entity. Ultimately connected with reproductive fitness (although often quite indirectly).
- Functional Group
- Fungi
- Gene
- Gene flow
- Genetic Bottleneck
- An extreme examples of genetic drift due to a population passing through a generation with a small number of individuals
- Genetic Drift
- Genetic Recombination
- Genome
- Genotype
- Gibbs Free Energy
- Gluconeogenesis
- Glutamine
- Glycine
- Glycogen
- Glycolysis
- Golgi Complex
- Green algae
- Guanine
- Hardy-Weinberg Equations
- Heterochromatin
- Heterocyclic
- Heterotroph
- Heterozygotic
- Hexose
- Histone
- Homologous Recombination
- The exchange of very similar regions from two different DNA molecules. Compare to Transpositional and Site-Specific recombination.
- Homozygotic
- Horizontal (Or Lateral) Transmission
- The transmission of genes among organisms other than parent to offspring. For example, from a virus to host.
- Hydrogen Bonds
- Hydrolase
- Hydrolysis
- Hydrophilic
- Hydrophobic
- Hydrophobic Core (Protein)
- the central (not surface) region of a protein. Generally a compact, non-dynamic region that is not solvent accessible.
- Hydrophobic Effect
- The tendency of nonpolar groups to cluster so as to shield themselves from contact with an aqueous environment. [Source: Glossary of Organic Chemistry Terms]
- Inbred strain
- A stock of organisms that are essentially identical as a result of the crossing of closely related plants within a species. [Source: Agricultural Genome Information System, USDA]
- Inbreeding
- Inducible
- Genes which are expressed intermittantly in a cell. The timing and extent of expression is controlled by transcription factors.
- Inheritance
- Initiation Factor (Ribosome)
- Intermediate Filaments
- Intermediates (Metabolic)
- Intermolecular Forces
- Internal Energy
- Ion
- Ion Product Constant
- The product of concentrations of hydrogen and hydroxide ions in a solution. [OH-][H+] = 10-14
- Ionic Bond
- Isomer
- Isomerase
- Isotope
- Karyotype
- Kinetochore
- Km
- Krebs Cycle
Jump to:
- Lagging Strand
- Lamarckian Inheritance
- An erroneous theory, perpetuated by Jean- Baptiste, Chevalier de Lamarck, stating that, if an individual strives in a certain direction, any resulting change will be passed on to the next generation. A giraffe, for example, that is constantly reaching for higher leaves, will lengthen its neck. This longer neck would then be passed to the giraffešs offspring. Of course, such acquired characteristics do not translate into genetic change, and therefore arenšt subject to heredity. [Source: After Darwin Glossary]
- Leading Strand
- Lewis Diagram
- Ligase
- Linkage
- Linkage map
- Linnean name
- The official (Latin) naming of an organism by its genus and species.
- Lipid
- Lipid Bilayer
- Lyase
- Lysosome
- Macroevolution
- Macromolecule
- Mass Extinction Event
- A mass extinction is a relatively sudden, global decrease in the diversity of life forms. [Source : Paleontology and Geology Glossary]
- Matter
- Meiosis
- Membrane
- Mendelian Inheritance
- The mode of inheritance of nulear genes, in contrast to "non-Mendelian" or "extra-nuclear" inheritance which is controlled by cytoplasmic heredity determinants. [Source: Agricultural Genome Information System, USDA]
- Metabolic Pathway
- Metabolism
- Metabolite
- Metazoa
- Methylation
- Michaelis-Menton Kinetics
- Microevolution
- Microfilaments
- Microtubule
- Mitochondria
- Mitosis
- Mixture
- Mole
- Molecule
- Monogenic
- Controlled by a single gene.
- Mutation
- Mutation (DNA)
- Mutualism
- Myosin
- Natural Selection
- Network Autocatalytic
- A mechanism of self-replication that involves a series of reactions which recreates itself. For example, the substrates in the Krebs cycle. Compare to Template autocatalytic
- Neutral Lipid
- Lipids which at cellular pH, they bear no charged groups. Generally, they are completely nonpolar, with no affinity for water.
- Neutral Mutation
- A mutation that has no effect on the Darwinian fitness of its carriers, or a mutation that has no phenotypic effect. [Source: Genetics Glossary]
- Neutron
- Niche
- Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD / NADH)
- Nuclear Envelope
- Nuclear Matrix
- Nuclear Membrane
- Nuclear Pore
- Nuclear Scaffold
- The skeleton of the nucleus which provides structure for the chromosomes and the protein complexes involved with the replication and transcription of DNA. Regions of DNA called scaffold-attached regions (SARs) are AT-rich sequences that bind to the nuclear scaffold.
- Nucleic Acid
- Nucleolus
- Nucleosome
- Nucleotide
- Nucleotide Excision Repair
- A process of DNA repair by which a defective base pair is removed from a newly replicated strand DNA.
- Nucleus
- Offspring
- Okazaki Fragments
- Operon
- Orbital
- Organelle
- Osmotic Lysis
- Oxidation
- Oxidation State
- Oxidative Phosphorylation
- Oxidoreductase
- Parasitism
- Parent
- Pathogen
- Pedigree
- Peptide Bond
- Peptidoglycan
- Perinuclear Space
- Periodic Table Of The Elements
- Peroxisome
- pH
- Phage
- Phenotype
- Phi Angle
- The dihedral angle defined by the alpha carbon and the carboxy carbon of one amino acid with the amino nitrogen of an amino acid bonded to it by a peptide bond.
- Phosphofructokinase
- Phosphoglyceride
- Phospholipid
- Phosphorylation
- Phosphotidyl Choline
- Photoautotroph
- Photosynthesis
- Phylum
- Physical Properties
- Things such things color, density, hardness, ductility, malleability, solubility, heat conduction, electrical properties, melting and boiling point. Compare chemical properties
- Plasmids
- Pleiotropy
- Polar Covalent Bond
- Polygenic
- Polymer
- Polymorphism
- Polypeptide
- Polyploidy
- Population
- Population Genetics
- Primary Structure (Protein)
- Processivity
- The effectiveness of a DNA polymerase. A polymerase which creates new DNA strands at a high rate is said to have high processivity.
- Products
- In a chemical reaction, the componds produced.
- Prokaryotes
- Promoter
- Protein
- Protist
- Protist
- Proton
- Proton Motive Force
- The force exerted by a proton gradient across a membrane.
- Psi Angle
- The dihedral angle defined by the carboxy carbon in one amino acid and the amino nitrogen and alpha carbon of an amino acid bonded to it by a peptide bond.
- Punnett Square
- Pure
- A substance that cannot be physically separated into fractions with different chemical properties.
- Purine
- Pyrimidine
- Pyruvate
Jump to:
- Quaternary Structure
- Random Coil
- The name for a region of a protein with no (other) recognizable secondary structure.
- Rate Limiting Step
- Reactants
- Recessive
- Redox Reaction
- Reduction
- Replication Fork
- Replication Initiation Complex
- The collection of DNA-bound proteins necessary to begin replication of the DNA molecule.
- Replication Initiation Site
- Replicon
- Repressor
- Respiration
- Reversable Reaction
- Ribosomal Large Unit
- Ribosomal Small Unit
- Ribosome
- RNA Secondary Structure
- Watson-Crick pairing within an RNA molecule, creating stem and loop structures.
- Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
- rRNA
- Saturated
- Saturated (Enzyme)
- Secondary Structure (Protein)
- Selection
- See Natural Selection
- Self-replication
- Creating a (perhaps imperfect) copy of one's self.
- Semi-Conservative Replication
- Sequence
- Side Chain
- Signal Recognition Complex
- Signal Transduction
- Site-Specific Recombination
- Exchange of regions from two different DNA molecules by means of enzymes which recognize particular short sequences. The recognition sequences are the sites of recombination.
- Small Molecule
- A molecule of relatively low weight, perhaps less than 100 atoms; the opposite of a macromolecule.
- Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum
- Solute
- Solution
- Solvent
- Speciation
- Species
- Species (Chemical)
- A pure chemical substance, such a molecule, ion or atom
- Stabilizing selection
- Stegocephalians
- A taxon of terrestrial vertebrates and other vertebrates that bear limbs with digits rather than fins. [Source: Tree of Life]
- Stoichiometric Coefficients
- Structure
- Subatomic Particle
- Substrate
- Supercoiling
- Symbiosis
- Taxis
- Taxon
- Taxonomy
- Telomerase
- Telomere
- Template Autocatalytic
- A mechanism of self-replication that involves a polymerization reaction that is organized by an existing (template) polymer. For example, the replication of DNA. Compare to Network Autocatalytic.
- Termination Factor (Ribosome)
- A set of enzymes that frees a newly synthesized protein from the ribosomal substrate on which it was created.
- Tertiary Structure
- Thermodynamic Feasibility (of a reaction)
- A reaction with negative delta-G is said to be thermodynamically feasible. Intuitively, the reaction can take place without an additional input of energy. Not all thermodynamically feasible reactions occur spontaneously; see activation energy.
- Thermodynamics
- Thymine
- Topoisomerase
- Trait
- An inheritable characteristic.
- Transamination
- Transcription
- Transcription Factor
- Transcription Factor Binding Site
- A DNA sequence that is specifically recognized by a transcription factor.
- Transferase
- Translation
- Transmembrane Region
- A portion of a protein that passes through a bilipid membrane. These regions are typically extended and contain hydrophobic amino acids.
- Transpositional Recombination
- A process that inserts a mobile genetic element into a region of DNA. Mobile genetic elements include transposons, which are operons containing DNA splicing enzymes.
- Transposons
- Triose
- Tubulin
- Ubiquinone
- Universal Ancestor
- The most recent common ancestor of all extant life forms. Also known as the cenancestor.
- Vacuole
- Valence
- Van Der Waals Force
- Variation
- Vesicle
- Virus
- Vmax
- Water
- Watson-Crick Base Complementarity
- Yeast
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