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   The Genetic Code
 

glossary

    • Adenine:  [A] nitrogen base, purine, pairs up with thymine.
    • analogy:  relationship by example.
    • bond:  attracting force between atoms, responsible for keeping specific combinations of atoms together.
    • component: a part, usually joining with other components to form a more complex structure.
    • carbon:  element that the ability to combine with itself forming either long chains, or closed chains called rings.
    • cytosine:  [c] nitrogen base, pyrimidine, pairs up with Guanine
    • deoxyribose:  a five membered carbon, with an oxygen atom missing at the two position, with phosphate forms the sides of the DNA molecule.
    • deoxyribonucleic acid:  DNA, the instructions necessary to continue life [protein synthesis].
    • DNA:  macromolecule made up 100 000's of nucleotides, contains the instructions necessary for life, found in the nucleus of a cell.
    • genetic code:  the sequence of nitrogen base pairs in a DNA molecule.
    • genome:  all the genetic material [DNA] of a living thing.
    • genome project: a group of scientists trying to decode the human genome [successful o7.00].
    • guanine:  [G] nitrogen base, purine, pairs up with cytosine.
    • helix:  a shape in the form of a transverse wave.
    • hydrogen bonds:  relatively weak bonds between hydrogen atoms, responsible for keeping nitrogen bases paired up
    • ladder analogy:  model of DNA made by unwinding the double helix.
    • macromolecule:  very large (compared to other molecules) molecule made up of hundreds or even thousands of atoms.
    • molecule:  specific combination and arrangement of atoms.
    • molecular subunit:  specific group of  atoms that is very stable forming repeating units.
    • nitrogen base:  molecular subunits that have some carbon atoms being replaced by nitrogen atoms, usually has NH2. two types either purine of pyrimidine
    • nucleotide:  molecular subunit made up of; a nitrogen base, sugar, and a phosphate.
    • phosphate:  molecular subunit made up of a phosphorous atom and four oxygen atoms.
    • purine: nitrogen base made up of a five and a six membered rings, two types: Adenine [A] and Guanine [G]
    • pyrimidine:  nitrogen base made up of a six membered ring, two types: cytosine [c] and thymine [t]
    • ribose:  a five membered carbon ring, forms the side chains of the RNA molecule.
    • ring:  carbon atoms joining together in a closed loop.
    • RNA:  ribonucleic acid, single helix, different types; transfer RNA, messenger RNA, ribosomal RNA.
    • sugar:  a molecular subunit made up of a five membered carbon ring, many kinds, in DNA a oxygen atom is missing from the 2 position in the carbon ring, called deoxyribose.

      • thymine: [t] nitrogen base, pairs up with Adenine.
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