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