BIOLOGY 233 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Deoxyribose, Heredity, Mutation
29 Aug 2016
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Genetics: study of inherited traits and their variations. Genes: units of heredity: biochemical instructions that tell cells (the basic units of life) how to manufacture certain proteins, these proteins control the characteristics that create much of our individuality, gene consists of dna (deoxyribose nucleic acid) Genome: the complete set of genetic instructions characteristic of an organism, including protein-encoding genes and other dna sequences: all our cells contain 2 copies of the genome. Genomics: comparing and analyzing genomes reveals how closely related we are to each other and other species. Structure of dna is a double helix, rails consist of alternating sugars and phosphates, steps hold the information. Alleles: protein-encoding genes that vary slightly in base sequence from person to person. Mutation: process that distinguishes alleles by changing dna sequence: some mutations cause disease and other just cause variation. Chromosomes: dna molecules wrapped around protein, rod like structures: a human somatic (non-sex) cell has 23 pairs of chromosomes.
