module 2 - 3.8 nucleic acids Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

what type of reaction is the synthesis of DNA?

A

anabolic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

how many chromosomes does almost every human cell contain?

A

46

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

how many nucleotides does almost every human cell contain?

A

3 billion

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

what is the length DNA in almost every human cell?

A

2 metres

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

what is DNA?

A

the genetic material within organisms

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

why is base pairing important?

A

allows the molecule to replicate

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

what are nucleotides a type of?

A

monomers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

what happens to nucleic acids under neutral conditions?

A
  • the remaining OH group of the phosphate is deprotonated
  • the oxygen atom has a negative charge
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

how to base pairs form? (which bond)

A

they hydrogen bond with each other

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

what are nucleic acids?

A

polymers of nucleotides

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

how are nucleotides joined together?

A

by condensation reactions that make PHOSPHODIESTER BONDS

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

how are nucleic acids broken down?

A

by hydrolysis reactions that break the phosphodiester bonds

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

what are the 3 subunits in a single nucleotide?

A
  • an organic pentose monosaccharide (sugar)
  • an inorganic phosphate group PO4^2-
  • an inorganic nitrogenous base
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

what does organic mean?

A

carbon based

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

what does inorganic mean?

A

not carbon based

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

where are nucleotides from?

A

food

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

what happens once nucleotides have been broken down in food?

A

rebuilt for chromosomes in the body and rebuild into nucleic acids

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

which position is the phosphate at?

A

5 prime carbon

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

what is the difference in number of strands between DNA and RNA?

A

DNA - double stranded
RNA - single stranded

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

what is the different pentose sugars in DNA and RNA?

A

DNA - deoxyribose sugar
RNA - ribose sugar

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

what is the difference in nitrogenous bases between DNA and RNA?

A

DNA - adenine, thymine, guanine, cytosine
RNA - adenine, uracil, guanine, cytosine

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

where is DNA found?

A

in the nucleus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

where is RNA found?

A

inside and outside nucleus

24
Q

what are the base pairs for DNA?

A

adenine - thymine
guanine - cytosine

25
Q

what are the base pairs for RNA?

A

adenine - uracil
guanine - cytosine

26
Q

what is the difference between ribose (RNA) and deoxyribose (DNA)?

A

RNA contains one more oxygen atom than DNA

27
Q

why is it important that RNA contains one more oxygen atom than DNA?

A

allows the enzymes to distinguish between the 2 types of nucleotides

28
Q

what are pyramidines?

A

SMALLER bases: cytosine and thymine

29
Q

what are purines?

A

LARGER bases: adenine and guanine

30
Q

what type of molecules are the bases?

A

planar molecules (flat molecules)

31
Q

what do we encode DNA in the form of?

A

genes

32
Q

what is a base pair?

A

double-stranded unit of DNA made of 2 bases bound by hydrogen bonds

33
Q

what do base pairs form and contribute to?

A
  • form building blocks of DNA double helix
  • contribute to the folded structure of DNA and RNA
34
Q

what does the complimentary nature of the base pairs provide?

A

provides redundant copy of genetic information encoded in each strand of DNA

35
Q

what is the regular structure and data redundancy make DNA well suited for?

A

makes DNA well suited to store genetic information

36
Q

what is the regular structure and data redundancy provided by for DNA?

A

provided by DNA double helix

37
Q

what do incoming nucleotides provide for DNA and RNA polymerase?

A

provides the DNA polymerase to replicate and RNA polymerase to transcribe DNA into RNA

38
Q

how is a new DNA strand formed?

A
  • hydrogen bonds between nitrogenous base pairs are broken
  • forming 2 separate strands
  • a new complimentary strand is formed with the old strand (semi-conservative)
39
Q

when do nucleotides form strong covalent bonds with each other?

A

when the sugar group of one nucleotide bonds to the phosphate group of another nucleotide

40
Q

which type of bonds hold the polynucleotide together?

A

strong, covalent sugar-phosphate bonds

41
Q

what does DNA consist of? (strands)

A

2 polynucleotide strands

42
Q

what is the backbone and how are the bases arranged?

A

sugar-phosphate backbone
the base arrangement - project toward the inside of the double helix

43
Q

what is antiparallel?

A

the first and second polynucleotide chains run parallel to each other but in opposite directions (left - 3 prime to 5 prime (upwards), right - 5 prime to 3 prime (downwards))

44
Q

how many hydrogen bonds are between adenine and thymine?

A

2 (pyrimidines)

45
Q

how many hydrogen bonds are between guanine and cytosine?

A

3 (purines)

46
Q

what is uracil?

A

demethylated form of thymine (in RNA not DNA)

47
Q

is uracil a purine or pyrimidine?

A

pyrimidine

48
Q

what does uracil base pair with?

A

adenine

49
Q

what does it mean if a base pair is ‘planar’?

A

the base pair is flat

50
Q

rather than a double stranded paired molecule, what is RNA’s structure?

A

single stranded molecule that is folded onto itself

51
Q

what is the size difference between RNA and DNA?

A

RNA molecules are much shorter than DNA molecules

52
Q

what does the hydroxyl group in the ribose backbone do?

A

makes RNA more unstable than DNA by lowering the activation energy of hydrolysis

53
Q

what does the functional form of single-stranded RNA frequently require and what does this lead to?

A
  • requires a specific tertiary structure
  • this leads to several recognisable secondary structures
54
Q

what do cellular organisms use messenger RNA (mRNA) for?

A

to convey genetic information using nitrogenous bases that direct the synthesis of specific proteins

55
Q

how do many viruses encode their genetic information?

A

using an RNA genome

56
Q

how many strands does a tRNA molecule?

A

1

57
Q

why does a tRNA molecule appear to be double stranded?

A

it base pairs with itself, forming hydrogen bonds with itself