| codon |
in biology, a triplet of nucleotides in the messenger RNA, which specifies amino acids in the synthesis of protein molecules. |
| coronavirus |
a type of virus that causes a variety of diseases in humans and other animals ranging from the common cold to potentially fatal illnesses. A coronavirus is an RNA virus of the family Coronaviridae and is so-named because the outer perimeter of each round virus particle resemble a spiky crown similar in shape to the sun's corona. [1/2 definitions] |
| cytosine |
the pyrimidine base of the nucleotide cytidine, an essential component of the genetic material DNA and RNA. |
| genetic code |
the rules governing the order in which amino acids are added to a nascent protein as it is being synthesized according to the order of nucleotides in DNA and RNA molecules. |
| nucleic acid |
any of a group of essential, complex acids comprising the genetic material of all living cells; DNA or RNA. |
| nucleolus |
a small spherical body in the nucleus of a cell, consisting of protein and RNA. |
| oligonucleotide |
a short molecule of DNA or RNA that is synthetically manufactured for research, genetic testing, or forensic analysis. |
| polymerase |
any of various enzymes, such as DNA polymerase and RNA polymerase, that catalyze the formation of a polynucleotide strand using an existing strand as a template. |
| polynucleotide |
a polymeric chain of nucleotides, such as DNA or RNA. |
| polysome |
a cluster of ribosomes along a heavily translated sequence of messenger RNA making protein in a cell; polyribosome. |
| retrovirus |
any of a group of related RNA viruses, such as those that cause leukemia and AIDS, in which a reversal of genetic transcription occurs, from RNA to DNA rather than from DNA to RNA. |
| reverse transcriptase |
an enzyme that converts RNA to DNA and is used in making recombinant DNA. |
| rhinovirus |
any of a large group of related RNA viruses that cause respiratory diseases, esp. the common cold. |
| ribonucleic acid |
see "RNA." |
| ribose |
a pentose sugar that is found in RNA. |
| ribosome |
any of various small particles in the cytoplasm of a cell that contain RNA and are active in protein synthesis. |
| rotavirus |
any of a genus (Rotavirus) of double-stranded RNA viruses causing a low-grade fever, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, esp. in infants and young children. |
| template |
a molecule that functions as a model for the synthesis of larger molecules, as DNA does for RNA. [1/4 definitions] |
| transcriptase |
an enzyme that is involved in the formation of RNA from DNA during transcription. |
| transcription |
the process by which genetic information is transferred to an RNA molecule that has been synthesized from DNA. [1/4 definitions] |
| transfer RNA |
a small, looped RNA that brings amino acids to a developing polypeptide chain. (Cf. messenger RNA.) |