Glossary

• Activation energy = minimum amount of energy required for a reaction to happen
• Adenine = one of the four constituent bases that pairs with thymine
• ATP hydrolase = enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of ATP into ADP and inorganic phosphate
• ATP synthase = protein that catalyses the formation of ATP
• Base-pairing = pair of complementary bases in a double-stranded DNA molecule
• Complementary = bases of the DNA match up with their complement
• Condensation = two molecules combining to form a larger molecule and water
• Conservative model = model of DNA replication in which parental molecule directs synthesis of a new double stranded molecule
• Covalent bond = bond formed between two non metals
• Cytokinesis = cytoplasmic division of a cell at the end of meiosis/mitosis
• Dinucleotide = nucleotide consisting of two nucleotides bonded together
• Dipolar = electrically neutral molecule carrying a positive and negative charge
• DNA helicase = ATP dependent catalytic enzyme
• DNA polymerase = enzyme that catalyses the synthesis of DNA molecules from nucleotide triphosphates
• Double-helix = pair of parallel helices intertwined about a common axis
• Glycolysis = process that breaks down a 6-carbon sugar molecule into two 3-carbon molecules
• Cytosine = one of the four constituent bases pairing with guanine
• Guanine = one of the four constituent bases pairing with cytosine
• Heavy nitrogen = isotope of nitrogen with a mass number greater than 7
• Hydrogen bond = weak bond between two molecules resulting from an electrostatic attraction
• Inorganic ions = charged particles that do not contain carbon
• Isotope = forms of an element with a different number of neutrons
• Latent heat of vaporisation = amount of energy required to change between the states of liquid and gas
• Light nitrogen = produced by deexcitation of excited nitrogen
• Nuclear division = separating duplicated genetic material carried in the nucleus
• Nucleotide = organic molecules composed of a nitrogenous base, a pentose sugar and a phosphate
• Pentose sugar = monosaccharide with 5 carbon atoms
• Phosphodiester bond = chemical bond joining successive sugar molecules in a polynucleotide
• Semi-conservative replication = mode of DNA replication in which each strand acts as a template for a new double helix
• Thymine = one of the four constituent bases pairing with adenine
• Uracil = compound replacing thymine in RNA
• Xylem vessel = type of dead cell forming long tubes for water transport