DNA Replication, Transcription, and Translation Flashcards
What is the central dogma of molecular biology?
DNA makes RNA, RNA makes protein
What are the two kinds of nucleic acid?
DNA and RNA
How do DNA and RNA differ?
in chemical composition and structure
- RNA is single-stranded; DNA double
- RNA is made of ribose; DNA of deoxyribose (missing an OH group that RNA has)
- RNA contains uracil; DNA contains thymine
Who first suggested a double-helical model for the structure of DNA?
James Watson and Francis Crick
How did they figure out that DNA must have a double-helix structure?
best way molecule could fit together from the evidence they had (including x-ray crytallography)
What was the chemical evidence about the structure of DNA?
puring and pyrimiding nigrogenous bases; deoxyribose sugar, phosphate
What is the biological evidence about the structure of DNA?
ratios between bases (proportion of A = T; C = G)
What is the physical evidence about the structure of DNA?
x-ray crystallography; 2 nm diameter, double helical structure
What does the fact that nitrogenous bases are located on the inside of a DNA molecule indicate about their nature?
they’re relatively hydrophobic
What deductions did evidence from Rosalind Frankland’s work enable Watsom to make?
- DNA was helical
- width of the helix
- spacing of the nitrogenous bases
- nitrogenous bases on inside
What is Chargaff’s rule?
the proportion of A = T; C = G
Does A + C have to equal G + C?
no
What are the two types of nitrogenous basees?
pyrimidines and purines
What is the difference between a pyrimidine and a puring?
purines are made of two carbon-nitrogen ring bases (4 N in total); pyrimidines are made of one nitrogen ring base (2 N in total)
What type of nitrogenous base is adenine?
purine
What type of nitrogenous base is thymine?
pyrimidine
What type of nitrogenous base is guanine?
purine
What type of nitrogenous base is cytosine?
pyrimidine
What two components of a DNA molecule interact to form the phosphate-sugar backbone of DNA?
the free 3’-OH group of deoxyribose in the 1st nucleotide and the 1st 5’ phosphate in the 2nd nucleotide (5’P - 3’OH)
How many nucleotides may be present in a single DNA molecule?
many millions
How many strands is a DNA molecule made of?
2
How are the two strands of a DNA molecule oriented with respect to each other?
antiparallel (one strand goes from 3’ to 5’; other from 5’ to 3’)
What are the base pairings in a DNA molecule?
A:T and C:G
How many hydrogen bonds are present between adenine and thymine?
2