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3.4.8: Key Terms

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    97066
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    electrophoresis
    technique used to separate DNA fragments according to size
    helicase
    during replication, this enzyme helps to open up the DNA helix by breaking the hydrogen bonds
    induced mutation
    mutation that results from exposure to chemicals or environmental agents
    lagging strand
    during replication, the strand that is replicated in short fragments and away from the replication fork
    leading strand
    strand that is synthesized continuously in the 5'-3' direction, which is synthesized in the direction of the replication fork
    ligase
    enzyme that catalyzes the formation of a phosphodiester linkage between the 3' OH and 5' phosphate ends of the DNA
    mismatch repair
    type of repair mechanism in which mismatched bases are removed after replication
    mutation
    variation in the nucleotide sequence of a genome
    nucleotide excision repair
    type of DNA repair mechanism in which the wrong base, along with a few nucleotides upstream or downstream, are removed
    Okazaki fragment
    DNA fragment that is synthesized in short stretches on the lagging strand
    point mutation
    mutation that affects a single base
    primase
    enzyme that synthesizes the RNA primer; the primer is needed for DNA pol to start synthesis of a new DNA strand
    primer
    short stretch of nucleotides that is required to initiate replication; in the case of replication, the primer has RNA nucleotides
    proofreading
    function of DNA pol in which it reads the newly added base before adding the next one
    replication fork
    Y-shaped structure formed during initiation of replication
    silent mutation
    mutation that is not expressed
    single-strand binding protein
    during replication, protein that binds to the single-stranded DNA; this helps in keeping the two strands of DNA apart so that they may serve as templates
    sliding clamp
    ring-shaped protein that holds the DNA pol on the DNA strand
    spontaneous mutation
    mutation that takes place in the cells as a result of chemical reactions taking place naturally without exposure to any external agent
    telomerase
    enzyme that contains a catalytic part and an inbuilt RNA template; it functions to maintain telomeres at chromosome ends
    telomere
    DNA at the end of linear chromosomes
    topoisomerase
    enzyme that prevents overwinding of DNA when DNA replication is taking place
    transformation
    process in which external DNA is taken up by a cell
    transition substitution
    when a purine is replaced with a purine or a pyrimidine is replaced with another pyrimidine
    transversion substitution
    when a purine is replaced by a pyrimidine or a pyrimidine is replaced by a purine

    3.4.8: Key Terms is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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