| active site/ˈæktɪv saɪt/ |
The region of an enzyme where the substrate binds and reacts. |
| Active transport/ˈæktɪv ˈtrænspɔːt/ |
The movement of substances across a cell membrane against their concentration gradient using energy and carrier proteins. |
| amylopectin/ˈæmɪləʊpktɪn/ |
A branched polymer of alpha-glucose that forms part of starch. |
| amylose/ˈæmɪləʊs/ |
An unbranched polymer of alpha-glucose that forms part of starch and coils into a helix. |
| Anticoagulants |
Substances that reduce or prevent blood clotting. |
| anticodons |
A sequence of three nucleotides in tRNA that pairs with a complementary codon in mRNA. |
| Antihypertensives |
Medicines used to lower high blood pressure. |
| Atherosclerosis |
The development of fatty deposits in artery walls, which can narrow the lumen and reduce blood flow. |
| Atrial systole |
Contraction of the atria, pushing blood into the ventricles. |
| Blood pressure |
The force per unit area exerted by blood on the walls of blood vessels. |
| Bohr effect |
The reduced affinity of haemoglobin for oxygen at higher carbon dioxide concentration and lower pH, promoting oxygen unloading. |
| Competitive inhibitors |
A molecule that blocks the active site by competing with the substrate; more substrate can overcome it. |
| Condensation/kɒndenˈseɪʃn/ |
A chemical reaction in which molecules join and a small molecule, commonly water, is eliminated. |
| confounders |
Variables associated with both an investigated factor and an outcome that can distort their apparent relationship. |
| cooperative binding |
Binding that changes a protein's affinity for further molecules, as when oxygen binding increases haemoglobin's affinity for additional oxygen. |
| Correlation is not causation. |
An observed association between variables does not by itself show that changing one causes a change in the other. |
| degenerate/dɪˈdʒenəreɪt/ |
Describing the genetic code because more than one codon can specify the same amino acid. |
| deletion/dɪˈliːʃn/ |
A mutation in which one or more nucleotides are lost from a DNA sequence. |
| Diastole/ˈdaɪəstəʊl/ |
The relaxation phase of a heart chamber's cycle, during which it can fill with blood. |
| Diffusion/dɪˈfjuːʒn/ |
Net movement down a concentration gradient, no ATP. |
| dipole/ˈdaɪpəʊl/ |
A pair or separation of opposite electric charges, producing a positive and a negative end. |
| DNA polymerase/ˌdiː en ˈeɪ ˌpɒlɪməˈreɪz/ |
An enzyme that synthesises DNA by adding nucleotides to a growing strand using a template. |
| endothelium |
The thin layer of cells lining the inside of blood vessels. |
| substitution/ˌsʌbstɪˈtjuːʃn/ |
A mutation in which one nucleotide or base pair is replaced by another. |
| tertiary/ˈtɜːʃjəri/ |
The overall three-dimensional folding of one polypeptide chain, maintained by interactions between its side chains. |
| thrombin |
An enzyme that converts soluble fibrinogen into insoluble fibrin during clotting. |
| thromboplastin |
A term used for tissue-factor-containing material that helps initiate the blood-clotting cascade. |
| triglyceride/ˈtrɪɡlɪsəraɪd/ |
A lipid formed from glycerol joined to three fatty acids by ester bonds. |
| triplet/ˈtrɪplɪt/ |
A sequence of three DNA nucleotides that corresponds to one codon in the genetic code. |