Microbial genetics-- The study of genes and gene function in bacteria, archaea, and other microorganisms.

Often used in research in the fields of bioremediation, alternative energy, and disease prevention.

Genome
Definition noun, plural: genomes (1) The complete set of genes in an organism. (2) The total genetic content in one set of chromosomes. Microbial Genetics deals with the genotype and phenotype of microbial species. It studies how genes are organized and regulated in microbes. Genomics, the study of all the nucleotide sequences, including structural genes, regulatory sequences, and noncoding DNA segments, in the chromosomes of an organism

Chromosome
Definition noun, plural: chromosomes A structure within the cell that bears the genetic material as a threadlike linear strand of DNA bonded to various proteins in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells, or as a circular strand of DNA (or RNA in someviruses) in the cytoplasm of prokaryotes and in the mitochondrion and chloroplast of certaineukaryotes.

Gene
Definition noun, plural: genes (cell and molecular biology) The fundamental, physical, and functional unit of heredity.

DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid

Definition noun A double-stranded nucleic acid that contains the genetic information for cell growth, division, andfunction.

The Four Nitrogenous Bases in DNA: Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, and Thymine Adenine and guanine are also known as purine bases; cytosine and thymine are also called pyrimidine bases. Each deoxyribonucleotide will contain one of these four bases. Fig. 3: The Four Nitrogenous Bases in RNA: Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, and Uracil Adenine and guanine are also known as purine bases; cytosine and uracil are also called pyrimidine bases. Each ribonucleotide will contain one of these four bases.
adenine - (biochemistry) purine base found in DNA and RNA; pairs with thymine in DNA and with uracil in RNA guanine - a purine base found in DNA and RNA; pairs with cytosine cytosine - a base found in DNA and RNA and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with guanine thymine - a base found in DNA (but not in RNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine uracil - a base containing nitrogen that is found in RNA (but not in DNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine

Comparisons between DNA and single stranded RNA with the diagram of the bases showing.
Although sometimes called "the molecule of heredity", DNA macromolecules as people typically think of them are not single molecules. Rather, they are pairs of molecules, which entwine like vines to form a double helix (see the illustration at the right). Each vine-like molecule is a strand of DNA: a chemically linked chain of nucleotides, each of which consists of a sugar (deoxyribose), a phosphate and one of five kinds of nucleobases ("bases"). Because DNA strands are composed of these nucleotide subunits, they are polymers. The diversity of the bases means that there are five kinds of nucleotides, which are commonly referred to by the identity of their bases. These are adenine (A), thymine (T), uracil (U), cytosine (C), and guanine (G). U is rarely found in DNA except as a result of chemical degradation of C, but in some viruses, notably PBS1 phage DNA, U completely replaces the usual T in its DNA. Similarly, RNA usually contains U in place of T, but in certain RNAs such as transfer RNA, T is always found in some positions. Thus, the only true difference between DNA and RNA is the sugar, 2-deoxyribose in DNA and ribose in RNA. In a DNA double helix, two polynucleotide strands can associate through the hydrophobic effect and pi stacking. Specificity of which strands stay associated is determined by complementary pairing. Each base forms hydrogen bonds readily to only one other -- A to T and C to G -- so that the identity of the base on one strand dictates the strength of the association; the more complementary bases exist, the stronger and longer-lasting the association. The cell's machinery is capable of melting or disassociating a DNA double helix, and using each DNA strand as a template for synthesizing a new strand which is nearly identical to the previous strand. Errors that occur in the synthesis are known as mutations. The process known as PCR (polymerase chain reaction) mimics this process in vitro in a nonliving system.

RNA
Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a nucleic acid consisting of a string of covalently-bound nucleotides. It is biochemically distinguished from DNA by the presence of an additional hydroxyl group, attached to each pentose ring; as well as by the use of uracil, instead of thymine. RNA transmitsgenetic information from DNA (via transcription) into proteins (by translation).
Chemical structure

RNA with its nitrogenous bases to the left andDNA to the right. RNA has four different bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and uracil. The first three are the same as those found in DNA, but uracil replaces thymine as the base complementary to adenine. This may be because uracil is energetically less expensive to produce, although it easily degenerates into cytosine. Thus, uracil is appropriate for RNA, where quantity is important but lifespan is not, whereas thymine is appropriate for DNA.
Comparison to DNA

Structurally, RNA is indistinguishable from DNA except for the critical presence of a hydroxyl group attached to the pentose ring in the 2' position (DNA has a hydrogen atom rather than a hydroxyl group). This hydroxyl gives the molecule far greater catalytic versatility and allows it to perform reactions that DNA is incapable of performing; but at the same time, it makes RNA sensitive to alkaline hydrolysis, to which DNA is not. The other major difference between RNA and DNA is that RNA is almost exclusively found in the single-stranded form (an exception being the genetic material of some kinds of viruses). RNA molecules often fold into more complex structures by making use of complementary internal sequences; that is, one part of a single RNA molecule is the nucleic acid complement of another part of the same molecule (for example, 5'-ACUCGA-3' and 5'-UCGAGU-3'), so that the two strands bind together. This allows the formation of hairpin loops, coils, etc., which then direct the formation of higherorder structures.