Exam 3 (Basic concepts) Modules 9-12 Flashcards
(167 cards)
What is DNA?
A long molecule composed of nucleotides that contains genetic instructions and information.
What three components make up a nucleotide?
A phosphate, a sugar (deoxyribose), and a base.
What are the four nucleotides in DNA?
Adenine (A), Cytosine (C), Thymine (T), Guanine (G).
What does Adenine pair up with?
Adenine can only pair up with Thymine.
What does Cytosine pair with?
Cytosine can only pair with Guanine.
What are the four functions of DNA?
Store genetic information
Copy or replicate genetic information (to pass down future cells?
Express information
Occasionally mutate (change information)
DNA replication
The duplication of two identical replicas of DNA information
What is the job of enzymes?
The job of the enzyme is to unzip the double helix
Which strand contains the information for DNA construction?
Since both strands are complimentary, both strands contain the information.
How are errors limited?
Errors are proofread by enzymes.
What does an organisms genome determine?
Genomes determine Phenotype.
What is phenotype?
The physical characteristics of an organism.
What are genes expressed by?
Transcription and translation.
What is transcription?
Is when the information in a strand of DNA is copied into a new molecule of messenger RNA (mRNA). DNA to RNA.
What is translation?
mRNA is decoded to build a protein that contains a specific amount of amino acids. RNA to protein.
What controls the expression of genes?
Chemical signals (hormones, etc)
What is DNA used for in transcription?
Template to construct an RNA molecule.
What is RNA?
RiboNucleic Acid chain composed of 4 nucleotides.
How does RNA differ from DNA?
- Includes the sugar ribose (not deoxyribose).
- Uracil (U) instead of Thymine (T)
- RNA is usually a single strand and not a double helix.
What does RNA polymerase do?
Unwinds DNA and transcribes one complimentary strand into RNA.
In RNA what does Adenine pair with?
Adenine pairs with Uracil (U).
In RNA what does Cytosine pair with?
Cytosine pairs with Guanine.
Does mRNA stay in the nucleus?
No, mRNA leaves the nucleus.
What does codon do?
Codes for one amino acid.