RNA

Question 1

What is RNA? How does it differ from DNA

Answer 1

ribonucleic acid

single stranded

contains ribose instead of deoxyribose

contains the base uracil instead of thymine

Question 2

What is the function of RNA?

Answer 2

plays an essential role in the transfer of genetic information from DNA to the proteins that make up the enzymes and tissues of the body

Question 3

DNA stores all of the genetic information needed by an organism. Why can’t DNA be transferred?

Answer 3

DNA of each eukaryotic chromosomes is a very long molecule, and is unable to leave the nucleus in order to supply information directly to the sites of protein synthesis/

Question 4

What happens to the RNA molecule after protein synthesis?

Answer 4

the phosphodiester bonds are hydrolysed and the RNA nucleotides are released and reused.

Question 5

WHat is transcription?

Answer 5

making RNA

Question 6

How is pre-RNA made?

Answer 6

DNA helicase unzips the DNA strand by breaking the H-bonds

RNA polymerase catalyses the production of an RNA strand, it moves along the strand (known as a template strand) to form a chain of pre-RNA

Question 7

What happens to the DNA after RNA is formed?

Answer 7

DNA behind the RNA polymerase joins to reform the double helix

Question 8

How is the pre-RNA detached?

Answer 8

when RNA polymerase reaches a ‘stop’ codon, the chain is terminated and the pre-mRNA detaches

Question 9

What is the difference between pre-mRNA and mature mRNA?

Answer 9

mature has introns removed (non-coding regions)

also has a cap and tail added so it is the right orientation to join the ribosome