Nucleic Acid & Gene Structure

Question 1

What are the two types of nucleic acids?

Answer 1

1. DNA - deoxyribonucleic acid

2. RNA - ribonucleic acid

Question 2

What is the structure of a nucleotide?

Answer 2

1. Nitrogenous base
2. 5-carbon sugar
3. Phosphate

Question 3

What are the two classes of nitrogenous bases?

Answer 3

1. Pyrimidines

2. Purines

Question 4

What are the THREE pyrimidines?

Answer 4

1. Cytosine
2. Thymine (in DNA)
3. Uracil (in RNA)

Question 5

What are the TWO purines?

Answer 5

1. Adenine

2. Guanine

Question 6

How do the ribose sugars differ in DNA and RNA?

Answer 6

H group on 2’ in DNA

OH group on 2’ in RNA

Question 7

What is the bond called when linking 3’-hydroxyl group of one nucleotide to 5’-phosphate group of the next nucleotide?

Answer 7

3’-5’ phosphodiester bond

Question 8

What is the directionality of nucleic acids?

Answer 8

5’ to 3’

Question 9

How many H bonds are between C and G?

Answer 9

3

Question 10

How many H bonds are between A and T?

Answer 10

2

Question 11

What is a gene?

Answer 11

A segment of DNA that codes for a protein or RNA molecule

Question 12

What are Introns and Exons?

Answer 12

INTRONS - non coding sequence of DNA

EXONS - coding sequence of DNA

Question 13

Where are Introns and Exons found?

Answer 13

In the PRIMARY RNA TRANSCRIPT

Question 14

What is splicing?

Answer 14

The removal of the introns in a gene and joining together of the exons