LEC # 1  There are four different nucleotides present in a

DNA molecule. The various sequence

REVIEW OF RELATED combinations of these bases ultimately encode
TERMINOLOGIES genetic information

GENETICS AND GENES

 Genetics - the study of inherited traits and their
variation; study of heredity
 Heredity - the sum of all biological processes
by which particular characteristics are
transmitted from parents to their offspring.
 Adenine-Thymine, Guanine-Cytosine
 Genes - the units of heredity, which is the  PARTS OF NUCLEOTIDES: Phosphate, Sugar,
transmission of inherited traits. Genes can be N. Bases
found on the nucleic acid DNA; segments of
nucleic acid in DNA that encodes for particular THE RNAs
product: protein  Messenger RNA (mRNA) – carries the
THE NUCLEIC ACIDS instructions for protein synthesis to the sites of
 DNA – a molecule whose function is to store protein synthesis; from nucleus to ribosome;
and transfer genetic information; making instruction
protein  Ribosome – made up of protein and
 RNA – important molecule in protein synthesis rRNA
 Both DNA and RNA are polymers of repeating  Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) – combines with
called nucleotides (nucleic acid monomer) proteins to form ribosomes
 Transfer RNA (tRNA) – RNA that delivers
DNA RNA amino acids to the sites of protein synthesis;
Double-stranded Single-stranded amino acids are building blocks of protein
Secured inside nucleus Helps interpret  Protein has diverse function.
Instruction instruction to make
Polymers that is made up protein  Catalaze – enzymes; structure – collagen
of nucleotides Polymers that is made up  It helps us to have certain characteristics.
Blueprint of nucleotides
Sugar: Deoxyribose Sugar: Ribose GENES, CHROMOSOMES AND GENOMES
Anti-parallel In & out of nucleus  Genome – it is the complete set of genetic
instructions characteristic of an organism,
 DNA is transcribed to make mRNA including protein-encoding genes and other
 mRNA translated to make proteins DNA sequences; totality
 Central Dogma because all living things follow  Chromosomes – structures that are a product of
these steps DNA coiling in association with proteins
 Genes, the segment of DNA strand that
encodes for the production of different
proteins, may have different variants. These
are called alleles.
 **Genes that encodes for eye color have different
variants but same characteristic; people have
different eye color.
 Histoles – circles, proteins that interacts with
DNA molecules that forms coiling to form
chromosome (visible in cell division)
MUTATIONS, PHENOTYPE, AND
GENOTYPE
 Alleles are products of mutations.
 Mutations - defined as any heritable change in
the DNA sequence and are the source of all
genetic variation
 Phenotype – observable traits or features of an
organism (alleles that are expressed); EX:
color, hair, height
 Genotype – set of alleles for a given trait
carried by an organism (alleles that are present)
** Not all alleles are expressed
MITOSIS AND MEIOSIS
 Mitosis – a type of cell division in which one
somatic cell give rise to two new ones
 Somatic cells – body cells except
gametes (not sperm or egg cell)
 Meiosis – cell division involved in the
production of gametes
TERMS IN GENETICS
 Chromatin - a complex of DNA and proteins
that forms chromosomes within the nucleus
of eukaryotic cells. 
 Chromatid - one of two identical halves of a
replicated chromosome
 Centromere - a constricted region of a
chromosome that
separates it into a
short arm (p) and a
long arm (q).
 Centrosome - the
major
microtubule-
organizing centre
(MTOC) in
eukaryotic cells
 Centrioles - a barrel-shaped organelle which
lives normally within the centrosome
 Genomics - the study of all of a person's
genes (the genome)
 Sister chromatids - pairs of identical copies
of DNA joined at a point called the
centromere
 Non-sister chromatids - chromatids of
homologous chromosomes
 Daughter chromosomes - a chromosome that
results from the separation of sister
chromatids during cell division
 Spermatogonia - a cell produced at an early
stage in the formation of spermatozoa,
formed in the wall of a seminiferous tubule
and giving rise by mitosis to spermatocyte;
Immature
 Spermatocyte - a type of male gametocyte in
animals
 Spermatid - the haploid male gametid that
results from division of secondary
spermatocytes
 Spermatozoa - the male sex cells that carry a
man's genetic material