Allele: alternate form of a gene

Annealing: the attachment of a new single-stranded nucleotide segment to an additional previously single-stranded nucleotide segment; the second step in PCR where a primer attaches to a template strand for replication which is done in a wide range of temperatures typically from 45-60C

Anode: the negative pole of an electrophoresis system (black cord); note DNA is negatively charged and will run to the cathode (positive, red cord)

Bicistron: an RNA cleaved product that is further translated into two protein segments

Cathode: the positive pole of an electrophoresis system (red cord); note DNA is negatively charged and will run to the cathode and away from the anode (negative, black cord)

Cistron: the smallest DNA segment encoding an RNA; this can refer to the smallest retained segments following cleavage of a larger RNA transcript

Denature (denaturation): the separation of segmented strands of biological molecules; often referred to as the separation of a double-stranded DNA molecule into two separate single strands as the first step in PCR; also referred to as the unfolding of a protein

Diploid: two sets of chromosomes in a cell

Electrophoresis: the separation of molecules (ie. DNA or protein) across an electric field through a matrix such as a gel or capillary; this is run from anode (negative, black cord) to cathode (positive, red cord). DNA is negatively charged and will run to the cathode (positive). Proteins maybe positive, neutral or negative in charge, hence their migration is uncertain and changes with PH

Encoded region: a DNA segment transcribed into RNA

Extension: the step where individual nucleotides are added to the 3’-end of a primer to copy, in complement, a single strand of DNA into either a new strand of DNA or RNA; this is the third step in PCR which is typically done at 70-72C

Haploid: one set of chromosomes in a cell

Haplotype: a set of linked gene versions (alleles) that tend to be inherited together, either on a chromosome which are not separated by recombination or a mitochondrial genome which is maternally inherited and not subject to recombination

Heteroplasmic: two or more versions of the mitochondrial genome are found in an individual organism

Heterozygous (Heterozygote): an individual with two different versions (allele) of a specific gene (locus)

Homozygous (Homozygote): an individual with a single version (allele) of a specific gene (locus)

Locus: a DNA region that corresponds to a gene

Loci: more than one locus (gene)

Oligo: short term for oligonucleotide or primer

Oligonucleotide: short DNA molecule typically artificially synthesized for the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) often called a primer

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR): a method of using heat cycles with a mixture of chemicals, nucleotides including primers, and enzymes to produce very large numbers of copies of a generally targeted nucleotide segment, often a gene region of DNA

Polypeptide: a protein made of amino acids = protein

Primer: short DNA molecule typically artificially synthesized for the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) often called an oligo or oligonucleotide; in natural replication a short RNA molecule; both to initiate 3’ extension of a nascent (new) strand of DNA

Protein: a polypeptide made of amino acids = polypeptide

Transcript: the single stranded RNA complement product of a DNA segment from transcription

Transcription (transcribed): the process of producing a single stranded RNA molecule from a DNA complement segment.

Translation: the process of reading a messenger RNA (mRNA) nucleotide sequence into an amino acid sequence of a polypeptide or protein.

Transition: a mutation changing a purine to a purine (A,G) or a pyrimidine to a pyrimidine (C,T,U)

Transversion: a mutation changing a purine (A,G) to a pyrimidine (C,T,U) or a pyrimidine to a purine

heavy strand, light strand, nascent strand, homologous, ploidy, active sites, adenylation, polyadenylated, regulatory elements, SNP, point mutation,

• Human Genomic Glossary [http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/glossary/]
• Glossary with Citation to original papers [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/projects/genome/glossary.shtml]