replicate

cell A cell is the smallest unit of all known living organisms. Cells can
independently and arc often called the "building blocks of life."

Organcllc a subunit within a cell that has a spccilic function

Parts of a cell & their functions

Smooth
Got
reticulum Clilcxoph•t (opened appa
to

Centriole
Snu»th
endoplasn
reliculum
npparntu.
Nuclear
4

o inetnbrane
Ad}noent
(_••.•il
wall
Nucleus reticulurn
('vtoplasm
cytoplast"
Chloroplast
Plant ceu Animal cell
Ima e credit: U.S. National Li of Medicine
Cytoplasm jelly-like fluid inside a cell that fills out the cell and keeps organelles in their place
Chloroplast the structure where photosynthesis occurs in a plant cell (only in plant cells)
Chlorophyll the green pigment in chloroplasts; chlorophylls capture sun light energy, which is then
used to convert carbon dioxide to carboh drates onl in lant cells
Cell membrane a thin semipermeable barrier that surrounds a cell, controlling what goes in and out of
thc cell ina rocess called osmosis
cell wall a coat surroundin the cell membrane to stren en thc cell
Endo lasmic Reticulum an interconnected network of tubes res onsible for the trans ort of various roteins
Lysosomes organelles filled with digestive enzymes that break down those items that would become
toxic if the were left in the cell
Mitochondria or anelles that make ener b breakin down and convertin food/fats into usable forms
Nucleus the organelle that stores the cell's hereditary material, or DNA
Nuclear envelo e the double membrane structure that surrounds the nucleus
Osmosis water leavin cells throu h a cell membrane a semi rmeable barrier
Ribosome the organelle responsible for the synthesis of proteins in all living organisms
Vacuoles or anclles that storc water roteins carboh drates and salts

ATP (adenosine&i-phosphate) a high-enerv molecule that is produced by the cell's mitochondria

breaking down food and lipids/triglycerides (fats). ATP molecules supply
cells with needed energy.
Carbohydrate an organic compound like sugar or starch that contains carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in
the ratio I such as Cd-11206(glucose).
E throc es red blood cells RBCs . E thro- means r and temeans cell

169
 Fatty Fatty acids are the building blocks of the fat in our bodies and in the food we eat. During digestion, the body
acids breaks down fats into fatty acids, which can then be absorbed into the blood. Fatty acids are energy storage. If
lucose isn't available for encr the bod uses fatt acids to fuel the cells instead.
Monosaccharides simple sugars, the most basic units of carbohydrates. Monosaccharides are fundamental units of
carboh drates and cannot be further h drol zed to sim Icr co unds.
Nucleotides Nucleotidesare subunits that arc linked to form RNA (nucleic acids ribonucleic acid) and DNA
deox •bonucleic acid which serve as the cell's storehouse of enetic information.
Triglyceride chicfli ids constitutin fats and oils, functionin to store chemical ener in lants and animals.
Proteins are large, complex molecules that are made up of hundreds or thousands of
Protein
smaller subunits called amino acids, which are joined together in long chains. Proteins
do many critical jobs in cells. For example, antibodies are the blood proteins that bind
to specific foreign particles, such as viruses and bacteria, to help protect the body.
amino Proteins are produced in ribosomes from instructions stored in DNA.
acids
Polypeptide a chain of amino acids bonded together

DNA DNA, or deoxyribonucleicacid, is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other
organisms. Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus. The information in DNA is stored as a code
made up of four chemical bases: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T).
Structurally, DNA is a double helix formed by basc pairs attached to a sugar-phosphate backbone.

Human's 22 pairs of chromosomes

pairs 4 6
Thyrmn•

Guamn• Cytostn. 6 8 9 10 11 12

Sugar phosphate
backbone

13 14 15 18 17

19 20
21 22
A chromosome is a thread-like
DNA
molecule that carries the
from height to eye color ofan genetic code for everything
Chromosomes organism. A chromosome
of DNA. Chromosomes are is made ofprotcin
in pairs within the and one molecule
irs of chromosomes lus nucleus of a cell. Humans
one additional air have 22
of sex chromosomes.
Sex chromosomes Humans have an additional
Y, and their combination pair of sex chromosomes, referred
determines a person's to as X and
two X chromosomes sex. Typically, females have
while males possess
Genome A genome is an an xy pairing.
organism's complete
set or
DNA, including all of
Genetic mutation a permanent its genes.
alteration in the
that makes up DNA sequence
a gene. Genetic mutation and
DNA damage an alteration in DNA
the chemical damage are types of
such as a break structure of DNA error in DNA. Harmful
in a
RNA missin from the strand of DNA ora base ' mutations may catksc
RNA,or ribonucleic backbone of DNA
acid, acts as a messenger genetic disorders or cancer.
carrying instructions
from DNA for
(Data credit:
Genetics Home
Reference U.s. National Library ofMedicine)
170
 Simply put together: cell + chromosome + gene + DNA
All life is made up of cells. All cells in the human body,
except red blood cells, contain chromosomes.

A genc is located on a chromosome. Genes contain DNA,

which is the chemical basis of heredity. Every factor in
inheritanceis duc to a particular gene. Genes specify the
structure of particular proteins that make up each cell.

In short, let's think of it this way: DNA is in genes, genes

arc on chromosomes, and chromosomes are contained
in cells.
(Oata credit: Stet*m Juan. Ph.D., Professor of Biology & Anthropology at the University of
Sydney)

GENE
Gene A gcnc is the basic physical and functional unit of hcrcdity that contains
information about a trait. Genes arc madc up of DNA; a gene usually has 2, but
ossibl more variant forms called alleles.
Allele • An allele is one of the variant copies/forms of a gcnc.
• Two common t s of alleles are dominant alleles and recessive alleles.
Dominant represented by capital letters, e.g. (B) = brown eye Example: blue eyes or brown eyes
alleles • The trait is expressed (shown/observable)
B = brown allele (dominant)
Recessive represented by lowercase letters, e.g. (b) = blue eye b = blue allele (recessive)
alleles The trait is not expressed (not shown/not seen) BB = brown eyes
A recessive allele only shows if the individual has Bb = brown eyes
two copies of the recessive allele. bb = bluce es
Heterozygous genotype A gene having two different alleles: Bb, Tt

Homozygous genotype A gene having two identical alleles: BB, bb, TT, tt

Genotype SCtOf genes in an organism's DNA that determines a particular trait

Meiosis a process of cell division that produces four sex cells called gametes containing
half the number of chromosomes of a arent
Gamete A gamete is a reproductivecell or sex cell (sperms in malcs and eggs in females). Meiosis
separates the two alleles of each heterozygous parent so that 50% of the gametes will carry one
Separation allele and 50% the other. For example, an individual with a Yygenotype produces half Ygametes
of gametes and half y gametes. A yy genotype, however, produces only y gametes.l For a cat with the
into alleles genotype AaBB, 50% of the gametes will contain the A allele and the other 50% will contain thc
a allele.
Phenotype An individual's phenotypes are physical traits/characteristics that we can see, such as
black hair and blue e es.
Trait A characteristic inherited from parents and ancestors. Favorable traits enhance the chance of
threats.
or anisms' re roduction and survival a ainst redators as well as environmental
an
Sex-linked trait This is a genetically complicated point, but the ACT puts it simply that
affected mother with a sex-linked trait asses thc trait to all of her sons.
Symbiosis/ 2 creatures of different species living together, depending on each other, e.g. a unicellular organism harbors
s mbiotic and protects a photosynthetic algae, which in turn produces oxygen for the unicellular organism.

171