DNA

Question 1

what does DNA stand for?

Answer 1

deoxyribonucleic acid

Question 2

what is DNA?

Answer 2

-a chemical that makes up all the genetic material in a cell

Question 3

where is DNA found?

Answer 3

found in the nucleus of animal and plant cells, in chromosomes

Question 4

what is DNA made up of?

Answer 4

it is a polymer made up of two strands coiled together in a shape of a double helix

Question 5

what is the function of DNA?

Answer 5

-it determines what inherited characteristics you have
-it determines what protein the cell produces (e.g. haemoglobin) that in turn determines what type of cell it is e.g. (red blood cell)

Question 6

what is a gene?

Answer 6

a small section of DNA found on a chromosome

Question 7

what is the role of the genes?

Answer 7

-each gene codes for a particular sequence of amino acids which are put together to make a specific protein
-only 20 amino acids are used but make up thousands of different proteins
-genes tell cells what order to put these amino acids together

Question 8

what is a genome?

Answer 8

the term for the entire set of genetic material in an organism

Question 9

why is understanding the human genome important for science and medicine?

Answer 9

-it helps identify genes in the genome that are linked to different types of disease. This could help scientists understand them better and develop effective treatments for them
-they can help scientists trace the migration of certain populations of people around the world
-all humans descended from a common ancestor who lived in Africa but different populations of people migrated away and gradually developed tiny differences. By investigating these differences scientists can work out when new populations split off and what direction they took