 Molecular Biology - the branch of biology that
deals with the structure and function of the
macromolecules (e.g. proteins and nucleic acids)
essential to life
 Acid - chemical species that donates protons or
hydrogen ions and/or accepts electrons
 Base - release hydroxide (OH−) ions, are slippery
to the touch, can taste bitter if an alkali, change
the color of indicators
 Molecular entity - any constitutionally or
isotopically distinct atom, molecule, ion, ion pair,
radical, radical ion, complex, conformer, etc.,
identifiable as a separately distinguishable entity
 Replication- process by which a double-stranded
DNA molecule is copied to produce two identical
DNA molecules
 Expression - The process by which a genes coded
information is converted into the structures
present and operating in the cell
 Mutation - the alteration of the nucleotide
sequence of the genome of an organism, virus, or
extrachromosomal DNA
 Molecule - a group of atoms bonded together,
representing the smallest fundamental unit of a
chemical compound that can take part in a
chemical reaction.
 Genes - basic physical and functional unit of
heredity
 RNA - polymeric molecule essential in various
biological roles in coding, decoding, regulation
and expression of genes
 Nucleotides - a compound consisting of a
nucleoside linked to a phosphate group.
Nucleotides form the basic structural unit of
nucleic acids such as DNA
 Monomers - a molecule that can be bonded to
other identical molecules to form a polymer
 Polynucleotides - a linear polymer whose
molecule is composed of many nucleotide units,
constituting a section of a nucleic acid molecule.
 Nitrogenous Base - simply a nitrogen-containing
molecule that has the same chemical properties
as a base
 Pentose sugar - has five carbon atoms
 Phosphate group - molecule containing one
atom of phosphorus covalently bound to four
oxygen residues, two of which may be expressed
as a hydroxyl group
 Purine - heterocyclic aromatic organic
compound, consisting of a pyrimidine ring
fused to an imidazole ring
 Pyrimidine - aromatic heterocyclic organic
compound similar to pyridine
 Adenine - It is one of the four nucleobases in
the nucleic acid of DNA
 Genome - the haploid set of chromosomes in
a gamete or microorganism, or in each cell of
a multicellular organism.
 Genomics - the branch of molecular biology
concerned with the structure, function,
evolution, and mapping of genomes.
 Base pairing - two complementary
nitrogenous molecules that are connected by
hydrogen bonds
 Genetic Information - includes information
about an individual's genetic tests and the
genetic tests of an individual
 Transcription - process by which the
information in a strand of DNA is copied into a
new molecule of messenger RNA
 Translation - the process in which ribosomes
in the cytoplasm or ER synthesize proteins
after the process of transcription of DNA to
RNA in the cell's nucleus
 Amino acids - organic compounds that
combine to form proteins
 Proteins - macromolecules formed by amino
acids
 Glycine - not considered an "essential amino
acid" because the body can make it from
other chemicals
 Isoleucine - amino acid that is used in the
biosynthesis of proteins
 Glutamine - important amino acid with many
functions in the body
 Aliphatic - organic compound containing
carbon and hydrogen joined together in
straight chains, branched chains, or non-
aromatic rings
 Polar- chemical species in which the
distribution of electrons between the
covalently bonded atoms is not even
 Aromatic - property of cyclic (ring-shaped), metabolism, and ion transport as well as
planar (flat) structures with a ring of providing structural support for tissues
resonance bonds that gives increased stability  Central dogma - describes the two-step
compared to other geometric or connective process, transcription and translation, by
arrangements with the same set of atoms which the information in genes flows into
 Codon - sequence of three DNA or RNA proteins
nucleotides that corresponds with a specific  Genetic code - the nucleotide triplets of DNA
amino acid or stop signal during protein and RNA molecules that carry genetic
synthesis information in living cells
 Synthesis - production of chemical
compounds by reaction from simpler
materials
 Distilled - having been purified by undergoing
heating and condensation
 Cells - basic building blocks of living things
 Nutrients - substance used by an organism to
survive, grow, and reproduce
 Enzymes - biological molecules (typically
proteins) that significantly speed up the rate
of virtually all of the chemical reactions that
take place within cells
 Ribosome - complex molecule made of
ribosomal RNA molecules and proteins that
form a factory for protein synthesis in cells
 Antibodies - proteins produced and secreted
by B cells
 Polymers - a substance that has a molecular
structure consisting chiefly or entirely of a
large number of similar units bonded together
 Macromolecule - a molecule containing a very
large number of atoms, such as a protein,
nucleic acid, or synthetic polymer.
 Hydrochloric acid- classified as strongly acidic
and can attack the skin over a wide
composition range, since the hydrogen
chloride completely dissociates in aqueous
solution.
 Carbonic acid - chemical compound with the
chemical formula H₂CO₃.
 Atoms - basic building blocks of ordinary
matter
 Genetic blueprint - often referred to as the
blueprint for life, holds the map of your genes
 Cellular function - include such basic life
processes as protein and lipid (fat) synthesis,
cell division and replication, respiration,