Genetics

Nucleotide

Complex chemicals made up of a base, a sugar and a phosphate. They are the basic units of which the nucleic acids DNA and RNA are made of.

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Polynucleotide

A long chain formed by linking mononucleotides together.

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DNA - Deoxyribonucleic Acid

A chemical that determines the inherited charateristics and contains a vast mount of information in the form of genetic code.

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Gene

The sections of the DNA that contain the coded information for making polypeptides.

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Allele

One of a number of forms of a gene.

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Complementary Base Pairing Rule

Adenine and Thymine Guanine and Cytosine

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Sugar Phosphate Backbone

Backbone consisting of repeated pattern of sugar and phosphate groups. sugar - deoxyribose.

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Chromosome

A thread like structure made of protein and DNA by which hereditary nformation is physically passed from one generation to the next.

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Homologous Chromosome

A pair of chromosomes - one maternl and one paternal - that have the same gene loci and therefore determine the same features. homologous chromosomes pair during the meiosis process.

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Phosphodiester Bond

The covalent chemical bond that holds together the polynucleotide chains of DNA by joining a specific carbon in the phosphate group, in a 5 carbon sugar, to a specific carbon in the hydroxyl group of the 5 carbon sugar in the adjacent nucleotide.

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Locus

The position of the gene on a chromosome/DNA molecule.

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Intron

A stretch of DNA that interrupts a gene and does not contribute to the specification of a protein.

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Exon

A nucleotide sequence that is found in a gene. it codes information for protein synthesis and is transcribed to messenger RNA.

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Codon

A triplet of adjacent nucleotides in the messenger RNA chain that codes for a specific amino acid in the synthesis of a protein molecule.

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Triplet

A unit of three nucleotides in a molecule of DNA that codes for an amino acid.

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Mutation

A sudden change in the amount or the arrangement of the genetic material in a cell.

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Degenerate

A gene that has multiple codons for the same amino acid.

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Continuous Variation

Variation in which organisms do not fall into distinct categories but show gradations from one extreme to another.

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Discontinuous Variation

Variation shown when the characteristics of organisms fall into specific categories.

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Meiosis

The type of neclear division in which the number of chromosomes is halved.

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Genetic Diversity

The greater the number of different alelles within all memebers of a species; the greater the genetic diversity. increased diversity means the species is more able to adapt.

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Selective Breeding

Choosing induviduals with the desired characteristics and only allowing them to breed. Offspring without the desired characteristics are killed or prevented from reproducing.

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The Founder Effect

Occurs when a few induviduals colonise a new region. this decreases the variation of alelles in the population and therefore the genetic diversity decreases. The founder population is different and a new species may develop.

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Genetic Bottlenecks

Genetic diversity will decrease and populations may suffer a dramatic drop in numbers. The survivors will posses fewer variety or alelles.

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Genetics

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