Module 1 Part B: Cell physiology and genetics Flashcards
what are genes?
basic units of inheritance
What are genes composed of?
Composed of sequences of DNA and proteins
What are the four nitrogenous bases in DNA?
Adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine.
What is a nucleotide?
A DNA subunit, consisting of one deoxyribose molecule, one phosphate group and one base.
How many different types of amino acids does the body have?
20
what are the three stop codons?
UAA
UAG
UGA
What is DNA polymerase function?
A protein enzyme that assists in DNA replication to ensure complementary base pairing of the nucleotides.
what is one single strand of DNA referred to as?
A template (guide)
what is mutation?
an inherited alteration of genetic material that occurs in DNA or mRNA sequence of nucleic acids.
what is base pair substition (form of mutation)?
one base pair is replaced with another
what is a missense mutation?
when one base pair alters a single amino acid
what is a nonsense mutation?
when the substitution produces any of the three stop codons
what is a frameshift mutation?
this involves the insertion or deletion of one or more base pairs in the DNA molecule.–can result in a premature stop codon and greatly alter the amino acid sequence.
What causes mutation?
coping errors during cell division, UV radiation, chemical toxins, viruses.
what kind of mutation is insertion?
one or more bases are added to the DNA strand (may be previous replication of previous base/codons).
where does transcription occur?
In the nucleus
what are the two processes involved in protein synthesis?
transcription and translation
Name RNA’s codon bases?
Uracil instead of thymine
adenine, cytosine, guanine
What is the difference in structure between DNA and RNA?
DNA structure is a double helix; RNA structure is a single strand.
where does translation occur?
In the cytoplasm
How many homologous chromosomes pairs does a human have?
22 pairs
How many sex chromosomes does a human have?
1 pair
What is the female sex chromosome?
XX
What is the male sex chromosome?
XY