Exam 2 Flashcards
(282 cards)
What gives DNA its helical shape?
Plate stacking and Hydrogen bonding
In what way does a DNA strand grow?
5’-3’
In what way does the complimentary strand grow?
3’-5’
What are the steps in DNA replication for a leading strand?
- the DNA is unwinded or “unzipped” at an origin (replication fork)
- a short segment of RNA (primer) synthesizes and acts as a starting point for the enzyme DNA polymerase to attach to
- DNA polymerase then goes down the strand and replicates the strand with its matching base pair
- once replication is done RNA primers are then replaced with DNA by DNA polymerase
- any gaps left are then sealed together with enzymes
What are the steps in DNA replication for a lagging strand?
- the replication fork starts so that the DNA polymerase can bind and start replication
- a segment of RNA (primer) acts as a starting point for the DNA polymerase
- the DNA polymerase then has to keep unattaching and reattaching because it is moving away from replication fork instead of with the replication fork
- RNA primers have to continuously bind to act as starting points for replication, seeing as the polymerase keeps having to unattach and reattach, leaving it needing a new place to start
- once the lagging strand is replicated DNA polymerase then goes back and replaces the primers with DNA
- topoisomerase goes through and seals any nicks made to the strand during replication
What does topoisomerase’s function?
makes nicks in the double helix ahead of the replication fork to prevent it from getting too tightly wound up as the DNA is opened (releases tension), after replication it goes back and seals those nicks in order to avoid permanent damage
What keeps DNA polymerase 1 from floating away on the lagging strand whenever it has to reattach?
a protein known as the sliding clamp that holds DNA polymerase 3 molecules in place as DNA is synthesized, keeps the polymerase from floating away as it starts a new Okazaki fragment
What is an Okazaki fragment?
short sequences of DNA nucleotides which are synthesized discontinuously and later linked together by enzyme DNA ligase
What is DNA ligase’s function?
to replace the RNA primers with DNA sequences
What is a phosphodiester bond?
result of a condensation reaction between a hydroxyl group of two sugar groups and a phosphate group
Where is a phosphodiester bond found in the DNA strands?
5’ end phosphate group attaching to a 3’ end sugar
Why is the major groove where most contact is made in DNA rather than in the minor groove?
the minor groove is too narrow
What causes the DNA backbone to be highly charged and polar?
the phosphate groups
What gives the DNA helix its stability?
base stacking and Hydrogen bonding
How many rings do purines have?
2 rings
How many rings to pyridines have?
1 ring
A G-C pair is stabilized through how many Hydrogen bonds?
3
An A-T pair is stabilized through how many Hydrogen bonds?
2
What is a sequence of nucleotides on a single strand there for?
to code for the RNA which then codes for the primary protein
Do all RNA’s code for proteins?
no
What does ribosomal RNAs code for?
formation of the structure of the ribosome
What do tRNAs do?
deliver amino acids to translation, they DO NOT synthesize proteins
What are the non used regions between genes referred to as?
untranslated regions (UTR)
Describe what untranslated regions (UTRs) do.
they are sites where the enzymes will assemble to transcribe the gene