Lecture 2/3 Flashcards
approximately how many genes are we estimated to have?
40,000 (many noncoding ones)
how are chromosomes numbered?
by size (1 is biggest)
what are the 3 major differences between RNA and DNA?
- ribose vs. deoxyribose sugar
- Uracil instead of Thymine
- most RNAs are single stranded
What is on carbon 2 in RNA? DNA?
RNA: hydroxyl
DNA: hydrogen
RNA is single stranded, how does it get interesting secondary/tertiary structures?
by binding to itself – it needs to fold into certain structures to function / so certain amino acids can attach
How does a molecule carry information?
base sequence
how is information from a gene transmitted to future generations?
DNA replication
what 2 mechanisms allow genetic information to change?
- recombination
- mutations
how does DNA-encoded information govern the expression of phenotype?
gene functions – DNA instructions are transcribed into RNA and then translated into proteins, which influence an organism’s phenotypes
how do somatic cells spend their time?
either in G0 (hanging out) or actively going through mitosis (cell cycle)
are germ cells always haploid?
no, they’re initially diploid during embryogenesis before they’re differentiated
what cell cycle do gametes go through?
meiosis
what is the genome
the sum of genetic information in a haploid set of chromosomes
what is a haploid genome
the genetic content of a gamete
how is the DNA content of a haploid cell represented?
n
how is the DNA content of a diploid / somatic cell represented?
2n
how is the DNA content of a tetraploid cell represented?
4n
how many chromosomes in a human egg?
23
how many chromosomes in a human somatic cell?
46
does the number of chromosomes in an organism relate to the complexity of the organism?
no
how long is a full cell cycle for a human cell in vitro?
approx 24 hours
What happens at G1 in the cell cycle?
it is the checkpoint for mitosis, proteins for DNA replication are made; takes approx 10 hrs
What happens at S in the cell cycle?
DNA replication, ~9hrs in vitro
What happens in G2?
checkpoint for DNA replication, proteins for mitosis are made; ~4hrs