A1.2 Nucleic Acids Flashcards

1
Q

what is inside nucleic acids

A

a genetic code seen in the order of bases in DNA that determine protein synthesis

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2
Q

what are the two types of nucleic acids

A

DNA and RNA

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3
Q

what does a nucleotide consist of and how are they combined

A

nitrogenous base
pentose sugar
phosphate group
combined by condensation reactions resulting in covalent bonds

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4
Q

what are the different nitrogenous bases

A

Cytosine,
Guanine
adenine
thymine

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5
Q

what are the two groups bases can be divided into

A

purines ( A and G) and pyrimidines ( C and T)

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6
Q

what is the polymer of nucleotides

A

polynucleotides or nucleic acids

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7
Q

what forms the backbone of nucleic acids

A

alternating sugar and phosphate molecules
they create a chain of covalently bonded atoms

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8
Q

where does info in the DNA lie

A

in the sequence of nitrogenous bases which form the genetic code

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9
Q

what does the sequence of bases dictate

A

which amino acids are assembled and combined to synthesize proteins

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10
Q

what is a codon

A

a sequence of three bases

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11
Q

what bases are found in RNA

A

Cytosine
Guanine
Adenine
Uracil ( instead of thymine)

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12
Q

difference between DNA and RNA

A

DNA has a deoxyribose sugar while RNA has a ribose sugar

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13
Q

what are the different forms RNA can be in

A

Messenger RNA
Transfer RNA
Ribosomal RNA

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14
Q

where is mRNA found

A

in the nucleus and is transported through nuclear pores to ribosomes

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15
Q

Where is tRNA and rRNA found

A

made in the nucleus but found in the cytoplasm

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16
Q

what is the bond formed between adjacent nucleotides

A

a 3’ to 5’ phosphodiester bond

17
Q

what is the shape of the DNA molecule

A

two antiparallel polynucleotide strands, paired together and held by hydrogen bonds, that takes the shape of a double helix

18
Q

why are the two strands of DNA called antiparallel

A

one strand runs 5’ to 3’ while the other is 3’ to 5’

19
Q

what codes for proteins within the DNA molecule

A

sections known as genes

20
Q

where are genes located

A

on chromosomes.
genes for a particular characteristic are always found in the same place, or ‘locus’

21
Q

what is an allele

A

each gene has two or more forms known as alleles

22
Q

what are homologous chromosomes

A

chromosomes of eukaryotic cells occur in pairs that resemble each other in structure and sequence of genes

23
Q

what are the complementary base pairings

A

only A and T
only C and G

24
Q

what are the number of hydrogen bonds in the base pairings

A

A with T, held by two hydrogen bonds
C with G, held by three hydrogen bonds

25
Q

what is the purpose of complementary base pairings

A

allows genetic information to be replicated and expressed

26
Q

what is genome size

A

the amount of DNA contained in the genome

27
Q

what are conserved sequences

A

Sequences that stay unchanged with minor modifications
the most highly conserved genes are those found in all organisms, suggest common ancestry

28
Q

what is the coding strand and what way is it read

A

the template for transcription and it always reads in the 3’ to 5’ direction

29
Q

what is the result of a coding strand

A

a single strand of RNA that is formed by complementary base pairing
synthesized in 5’ to 3’ direction

30
Q

what direction is mRNA translated in

A

in the 5’ to 3’ direction by a ribosome to produce a polypeptide chain

31
Q

What did Watson and Crick discover in base pairings

A

they are all of equal length so DNA always has the same structure

32
Q

how is DNA packaged

A

by coiling the DNA double helix and looping around protein beads known as nucleosomes

33
Q

what is a nucleosome

A

a sequence of DNA wound around 8 histone protein cores that form a bead

34
Q

what is the features of histones

A

a basic protein containing a high concentration of amino acid residues with additional basic groups

35
Q

what happens to the nucleosomes when the nucleus divides in cell division

A

the beaded thread is coiled up, forming the chromatin fibre.
this is then coiled up again and looped around a scaffold protein fibre made of a non histone chromosomal protein
the whole structure is supercoiled into the much condensed chromosomes

36
Q

What is the Hersey and Chase DNA experiment

A

through the use of phages, DNA and proteins were labelled with radioactive atoms that could be traced.
They saw that the DNA part of the virus was entering the host cell and carrying the genetic information, instead of proteins

37
Q

What did Chargaff discover that

A

number of purine bases always equals number of pyrimidine bases