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B12 > Nucleic Acids (3.1) > Flashcards

Nucleic Acids (3.1) Flashcards

1
Q

Define nucleic acids

A

Genetic material of all organisms that controls cellular activities

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2
Q

State the 2 types of nucleic acids

A
  1. DNA

2. RNA

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3
Q

State what both DNA and RNA are composed of

A

Nucleotides

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4
Q

Describe the role of nucleic acids

A

Store and transmit hereditary information and instructions for protein synthesis

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5
Q

State whether DNA can self-replicate. True/False

A

True.

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6
Q

List the 3 major forms of RNA

A
  1. Messenger RNA
  2. Transfer RNA
  3. Ribosomal RNA
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7
Q

State what process RNA plays a key role in

A

Plays a major role in protein synthesis

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8
Q

State the monomer of nucleic acids

A

Nucleotides

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9
Q

State the 3 basic units of nucleotides

A
  1. Phosphate group
  2. Pentose sugar
  3. Nitrogenous base
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10
Q

State the 5 different nitrogenous bases

A
  1. Adenine
  2. Guanine
  3. Cytosine
  4. Thymine (DNA only)
  5. Uracil (RNA only)
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11
Q

State the 2 major classifications of nitrogenous bases

A
  1. Purines

2. Pyrimidines

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12
Q

State all purines

A

A and G

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13
Q

State all pyrimidines

A

C and U and T

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14
Q

Describe purines

A

Two rings

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15
Q

Describe pyrimidines

A

One ring

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16
Q

State the process by which free nucleotides link together to form strands

A

Condensation Polymerisation Reaction

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17
Q

State how many molecules the condensation polymerisation reaction originally occurs between. Specify what molecules these are

A

Two nucleotides

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18
Q

State what forms as a result of the condensation polymerisation reaction with nucleotides

A

Dinucleotide

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19
Q

Describe the process of condensation polymerisation reaction with nucleotides and reference related molecular structure

A

Hydroxyl group (OH) on the 3’ carbon atom of one nucleotide joins with the phosphate on the 5’ carbon of the pentose sugar - forms water

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20
Q

State what structure forms as a result of the continual adding of free nucleotides during a condensation polymerisation reaction

A

Polynucleotide

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21
Q

Outline the type of bonds joining the nucleotides by the sugar-phosphate backbone

A

Phosphodiester bonds

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22
Q

State what type of molecule both DNA and RNA are

A

Polynucleotides

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23
Q

Describe the structure of DNA

A

Double stranded molecule, consisting of two chains of nucleotides twisted into a double helix

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24
Q

State what the sides of the DNA ladder are composed of

A

Sugar-phosphate backbone

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25
Q

State the term describing the running of the DNA strands in opposite directions to one another

A

Antiparallel

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26
Q

State what the rungs of the ladder are composed of

A

Nitrogenous bases of each nucleotide

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27
Q

Describe complementary base pairing of nucleotides

A

Occurs between the nitrogenous bases forming the double-stranded DNA molecule
A-T and C-G

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28
Q

State the approximate diameter of the DNA double helix

A

2 nanometers

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29
Q

Describe the structure of RNA

A

Single stranded molecule

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30
Q

Compare and contrast DNA and RNA molecules

A 
RNA is single stranded, whereas DNA is double stranded
DNA has deoxyribose sugar and RNA has a ribose sugar
DNA nucleotides (A, T, G, C) and RNA nucleotides (A, U, C, G)
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31
Q

State where uracil is more stable

A

Single-stranded polynucleotides

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32
Q

State the function of DNA in protein synthesis

A

Provides instructions for the synthesis of proteins

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33
Q

State the function of RNA in protein synthesis

A

Translates DNA instructions into proteins that carry out essential functions

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34
Q

State what the order of nucleotides in DNA determines

A

Products that are synthesised

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35
Q

Describe a gene

A

Region of DNA that contains the information to produce a protein or a functional RNA molecule

36
Q

State the region in which mRNA is formed and process which forms it

A

Nucleus by the process of transcription

37
Q

Describe the function of mRNA

A

Carries a copy of the nucleotide sequence of DNA that specifies the amino acid sequence for a particular protein

38
Q

State where mRNA travels to in its’ mature form

A

Travels from the nucleus to the cytosol where it binds to ribosomes

39
Q

State the region in which rRNA is formed

A

Synthesised in the nucleolus

40
Q

State what organelle is composed of rRNA and protein

A

Ribosomes

41
Q

State the role of ribosomes in the function of mRNA

A

Sites where the information of the mRNA is translated into a chain of amino acids

42
Q

Describe the function of tRNA

A

Transfer amino acids from the cytoplasm to the ribosomes

43
Q

State how many different types of tRNA molecules exist

A

61 tRNA molecules

44
Q

State how many codons represent amino acids

A

64 codons (3 of which are stop codons)

45
Q

Outline the 3 places for tRNA to bind to the ribosome

A
  1. exit site
  2. peptidyl site
  3. aminoacyl site
46
Q

Describe anticodon

A

Three nucleotides on a tRNA molecule that join to the codons on mRNA by complementary base pairing during translation

47
Q

Describe codon

A

Three nucleotides on a mRNA molecule that code for a particular amino acid (or indicate the beginning or end of a translation)

48
Q

Describe translation

A

Process in which the base sequence of a mRNA molecule is used to produce the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide

49
Q

Describe transcription

A

Process by which a base sequence in DNA is used to produce a base sequence in RNA

50
Q

Outline the type of bonds joining the complementary nitrogenous bases of nucleotides

A

Hydrogen bonds

51
Q

Describe nucleosides

A

A nitrogenous base bound to a ribose or deoxyribose pentose sugar

52
Q

Describe the formation of nucleotides

A

Phosphoric acid and a nitrogenous base are chemically bonded to a sugar molecules by condensation polymerisation reaction (where water is released)

53
Q

Compare and contrast DNA polymerase and RNA polymerase

A

RNA polymerase - catalyses RNA synthesis (transcription)

DNA polymerase - catalyses the formation of DNA polymers (DNA replication)

54
Q

Describe the sense strand

A

Coding strand - strand of DNA that has the same nucleotide base sequence as the mRNA strand produced by transcription

55
Q

Describe the template strand

A

Strand of DNA/RNA used as a template for building a complementary strand of a precise nucleotide sequence

56
Q

Describe the lagging strand

A

DNA strand that is replicated discontinuously in the 5’ to 3’ direction

57
Q

Describe the leading strand

A

DNA strand replicated continuously which runs in the 3’ to 5’ direction toward the fork

58
Q

Describe okazaki fragments

A

Relatively short fragment of DNA synthesized on the lagging strand during DNA replication.

59
Q

Describe the replication fork

A

A Y-shaped region in a chromosome that serves as the growing site for DNA replication.

60
Q

Describe protein synthesis

A

Process of creating protein molecules, involving transcription and translation

61
Q

Describe the direction in which mRNA is read

A

5’ to 3’ direction

62
Q

Describe the direction in which tRNA is read

A

3’ to 5’ direction

63
Q

State what a three base sequence on mRNA is termed

A

Codon

64
Q

State what a three base sequence on tRNA is termed

A

Anti-codon

65
Q

CCC and CCA both code for the amino acid Proline. This demonstrates that the genetic code is…

A

Redundant/Degenerate

66
Q

The mRNA codon encoding Methionine is AUG. The DNA coding for methionine is…

A

ATG

67
Q

The genetic code is universal. This means that:

A

Codons specify the same amino acids in all species

68
Q

State the specific structure that signals the 3’ end of a nucleotide

A

Presence of a hydroxyl group

69
Q

State why you can only ever add a new nucleotide to a 3’ end of DNA

A

Because there is a hydroxyl group at the end of the 3’ strand

70
Q

State to what end of a DNA strand new nucleotides are added to

A

3’ end

71
Q

State whether or not the DNA code is ambiguous and/or unambiguous

A

Unambiguous

72
Q

State whether or not the DNA code is redunant and/or degenerate

A

Redundant and degenerate

73
Q

State how the DNA code is redundant/degenerate

A

Each codon is specific for only one amino acid but a single amino acid may be coded for by more than one codon

74
Q

State how the DNA code is unambiguous

A

One amino acid can be coded by several different codons, but each codon only codes for one amino acid

75
Q

Describe alternative editing

A

Method used by cells to create many proteins from one DNA strand

76
Q

State what is produced during transcription

A

pre mRNA strand

77
Q

Describe binary fission

A

Asexual reproductive method in which a single cell divides into two or more parts that are identical to the parent.

78
Q

Describe meiosis

A

Process where a single cell divides twice to produce four cells containing half the original amount of genetic information.

79
Q

Describe non-disjunction of chromosomes

A

Pair of homologous chromosomes fails to separate during Anaphase I.

80
Q

State the 4 structures that are identical in homologous chromosomes

A
  • length
  • centromere position
  • banding pattern
  • gene loci (alleles)
81
Q

State the stages of meiosis

A 
Interphase
P1
M1
A1
T/Cytokinese1
P2
M2
A2
T/Cytokinesis2
82
Q

Compare and contrast codon and anticodon

A

Anticodon - tRNA

Codon - mRNA

83
Q

State in which direction DNA can only be synthesised

A

5’ to 3’ direction

84
Q

State in which direction the leading strand is formed

A

5’ to 3’ direction - towards replication fork

85
Q

State in which direction the lagging strand is formed

A

5’ to 3’ direction - away from replication fork

B12 (41 decks)

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