Variable: something that changes

Two kinds of variables are used when performing an experiment.

Independent variable:
the quantity that is changed by the investigator

Dependent variable:
the quantity (response) that is measured
(Independent variable) causes a change in (Dependent Variable) nces.ed.gov

If I am testing the effect of (independent variable) on something, I will monitor that effect by measuring the (dependent variable).

Control group: (control)

something that is used as a standard with which to compare the results of an experiment

Constant factors:
things that are held constant during an experiment which could affect the outcome of the experiment if they were changed.
The only thing you want to change during an experiment is the independent variable. All other factors that might affect the results should be held constant (that is, they are constants).

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid):

An organic polymer composed of repeating subunits called nucleotides
behaves as an acid when in a solution usually double-stranded contains nitrogenous bases adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine contains the five-carbon sugar deoxyribose

Hydrogen bond:
A relatively weak bond formed between a hydrogen atom and a nitrogen or oxygen atom

Nitrogenous bases:
The purines (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidines (thymine, cytosine, and uracil) that comprise DNA and RNA molecules Contain several nitrogen atoms Behave as bases when in a solution

Nucleotide: A building block of DNA

and RNA, consisting of a nitrogenous base, a five-carbon sugar (deoxyribose or ribose), and a phosphate group

Deoxyribose: the five-carbon sugar

found in DNA nucleotides

Ribose: the five-carbon sugar found in

RNA nucleotides

DNA polymerase: an enzyme

that polymerizes (links together) DNA nucleotides to form a complete DNA strand

RNA polymerase: an enzyme

that polymerizes (links together) RNA nucleotides to form a complete RNA strand. It reads DNA and builds a corresponding RNA molecule.

Ribosome: A sub-cellular structure

that is the site of protein synthesis during translation A machine that reads RNA and makes a corresponding protein Some ribosomes float free in the cytoplasm and some are attached to the outer membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum.

RNA (Ribonucleic acid):

An organic acid composed of a single strand of nucleotides that acts as a messenger between DNA and the ribosomes usually single-stranded contains nitrogenous bases adenine, guanine, cytosine, and uracil contains the five-carbon sugar ribose

Monomer: a molecule that can join

with other molecules to form a polymer; the basic building block of a polymer

Polymer: a large molecule consisting of

many repeating subunits called monomers that are linked together