DNA consists of two long chains of nucleotides twisted into a double helix and joined by hydrogen bonds between the complementary bases adenine and thymine or cytosine and guanine
Chromatin
granular material visible within the nucleus; consists of DNA tightly coiled around proteins
Nucleoid
A dense region of DNA in a prokaryotic cell.
Chromosomes
a threadlike structure of nucleic acids and protein found in the nucleus of most living cells, carrying genetic information in the form of genes.
nucleotide
A building block of DNA and RNA, consisting of a five-carbon sugar bonded to a nitrogenous base and a phosphate group.
sugar-phosphate backbone
The alternating chain of sugar and phosphate to which the DNA and RNA nitrogenous bases are attached
nitrogenous base
is a carbon ring structure that contains one or more atoms of nitrogen. In DNA, Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine, Guanine.
Histone
protein molecule around which DNA is tightly coiled in chromatin
Plasmid
A small, circular section of extra DNA that confers one or more traits to a bacterium and can be reproduced separately from the main bacterial genetic code.
transcription
the process where the DNA sequence in a gene is copied into mRNA
