Genetics and Molecular Biology Terms

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Amino Acid

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Building blocks of proteins, consisting of a basic amino group, an acidic carboxyl group, and a unique side chain.

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Codon

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A sequence of three nucleotides in mRNA that specifies an amino acid or a stop signal during protein synthesis.

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Anticodon

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A sequence of three nucleotides in tRNA that pairs with the complementary codon in mRNA during translation.

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mRNA

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Messenger RNA; a type of RNA that carries genetic information from DNA to the ribosome for protein synthesis.

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tRNA

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Transfer RNA; a type of RNA that brings amino acids to the ribosome during protein synthesis.

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rRNA

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Ribosomal RNA; a type of RNA that, along with proteins, makes up the ribosome.

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DNA

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Deoxyribonucleic acid; the molecule that carries genetic instructions in all living organisms and many viruses.

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RNA Polymerase

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An enzyme that synthesizes RNA from a DNA template during transcription.

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Intron

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Non-coding sequences in a gene that are removed during RNA processing.

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Exon

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Coding sequences in a gene that are expressed and translated into protein.