Definition of Terms

Cells are the basic building block of all living things or the simplest unit of life. We have the plant cell
and animal cell. Cells have many parts called organelles and these organelles perform various functions in
the cell e.g. mitochondria, cytoplasm, cell membrane, nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, golgi apparatus,
lysosome, etc.
DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) is a molecule that carries the genetic instructions used in growth,
development, functioning and reproduction of all known living organisms and many viruses. DNA stores
biological information.
RNA (Ribonucleic acid) is a polymeric molecule implicated in various biological roles in coding,
decoding, regulation, and expression of genes.
Gene: This is the locus (or region) of DNA which is made up of nucleotides and is the molecular unit of
heredity.
A genome is an organisms complete set of DNA, including all of its genes. Each genome contains all of
the information needed to build and maintain that organism. In humans, a copy of the entire genome-more
than 3 billion DNA base pairs-is contained in all cells that have a nucleus.
Genome: The haploid set of chromosomes in a gamete or microorganism, or in each cell of a
multicellular organism.