DNA Flashcards
(23 cards)
What does ‘DNA’ stand for?
Deoxyribonucleic Acid
What does ‘RNA’ stand for?
Ribonucleic Acid
What are the building blocks of nucleic acids (DNA/RNA)?
Nucleotides
What are the 3 parts of a nucleotide?
- Sugar
- Phosphate group
- Nitrogenous base
What 4 types of bases are found in DNA?
- Adenine (A)
- Thymine (T)
- Cytosine (C)
- Guanine (G)
What 4 types of bases are found in RNA?
- Adenine (A)
- Uracil (U)
- Cytosine (C)
- Guanine (G)
What are the complementary base pairing rules in DNA?
A pairs with T, C pairs with G
What are the complementary base pairing rules in RNA?
A pairs with U, C pairs with G
In what stage of the cell cycle does DNA replicate?
S phase
What happens in DNA replication?
The DNA strands unwind and separate, and new complementary strands are synthesized.
What are the 3 main differences between DNA and RNA?
- DNA is double-stranded, RNA is single-stranded
- DNA contains thymine, RNA contains uracil
- DNA has deoxyribose sugar, RNA has ribose sugar
How do you go from DNA to proteins?
Through transcription and translation
What is transcription?
The process of synthesizing RNA from a DNA template
Where does transcription occur?
In the nucleus
What is translation?
The process of synthesizing proteins from mRNA
Where does translation occur?
At the ribosome
What is a codon?
A sequence of three nucleotides that codes for an amino acid
What is an anticodon?
A sequence of three nucleotides in tRNA that pairs with a codon in mRNA
What is a mutation?
A change in the DNA sequence
Why do mutations occur?
Due to errors during DNA replication, environmental factors, or other reasons
What is a base substitution?
A mutation where one base is replaced by another
Does a base substitution always affect the amino acids produced?
No, it may be silent and not change the amino acid
What are base insertions and deletions?
Mutations that add or remove bases from the DNA sequence
