ABE Chapter 2 Glossary Terms

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Activator

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A protein that regulates transcription of a gene by binding to a sequence near the promoter, enabling RNA polymerase to bind to the promoter and initiate transcription of the gene. It can also block RNA polymerase binding and inhibit transcription.

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Antibiotic

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A class of compounds that kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms.

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Antibiotic Resistance

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The state in which bacteria are no longer sensitive to an antibiotic and continue to grow and divide in its presence.

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Arabinose

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A five-carbon sugar that naturally occurs in various plant and bacterial carbohydrates.

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Bacterial Conjugation

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A process by which two bacterial cells join and transfer genetic material from one to another.

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Bacteriophage

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A virus that infects a bacterial cell, uses the cell machinery to replicate itself, and eventually destroys the bacterial cell.

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Base Pair

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Two complementary nitrogen-containing molecules paired together in double-stranded DNA by weak hydrogen bonds.

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Digestion

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The cutting of DNA by a restriction enzyme.

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DNA Ligase

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An enzyme that catalyzes the formation of covalent chemical bonds in the sugar-phosphate backbone, binding fragments of DNA together.

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DNA Replication

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The biological process of making an identical copy of DNA, occurring each time a new cell is formed. The double helix is unwound, and each strand serves as a template for the complementary strand.