Nucleic Acids

Question 1

DNA

Answer 1

Deoxyribonucleic acid

Question 2

What are the nitrogenous bases if DNA?

Answer 2

Adenine - Thymine
Guanine - Cytosine

Question 3

Basic Nucleotide Structure

Answer 3

Phosphate, Pentose sugar, Nitrogenous Base

Question 4

Purines

Answer 4

Two-ring structure. Adenine and Guanine.

Question 5

Pyrimidines

Answer 5

Cytosine, Thymine and Uracil

Question 6

RNA

Answer 6

Ribonucleic acid

Question 7

What are the nitrogenous bases in RNA?

Answer 7

Adenine - Uracil
Guanine- Cytosine

Question 8

Structure of DNA

Answer 8

Double helix structure

Question 9

Structure of RNA

Answer 9

Single stranded

Question 10

Function of DNA

Answer 10

Repository of genetic information

Question 11

Function of RNA

Answer 11

Involved in protein synthesis and gene regulation; carrier of genetic information in some viruses

Question 12

What are the monomers of nucleic acids?

Answer 12

Nucleotides.

Question 13

What are the three components of a nucleotide?

Answer 13

Phosphate group, pentose sugar, nitrogenous base.

Question 14

What are the four bases in DNA?

Answer 14

Adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine.

Question 15

Which base replaces thymine in RNA?

Answer 15

Uracil.

Question 16

What is the sugar in DNA and RNA?

Answer 16

Deoxyribose in DNA, ribose in RNA.

Question 17

What type of bond forms between nucleotides?

Answer 17

Phosphodiester bond.

Question 18

What is complementary base pairing in DNA?

Answer 18

A pairs with T, C pairs with G via hydrogen bonds.

Question 19

Describe the structure of DNA.

Answer 19

Double helix formed by two antiparallel strands joined by complementary base pairing.

Question 20

What is semi-conservative replication?

Answer 20

Each new DNA molecule has one old strand and one new strand.

Question 21

Which enzymes are involved in DNA replication?

Answer 21

DNA helicase (unwinds) and DNA polymerase (adds new nucleotides).

Question 22

What are the roles of mRNA, tRNA, and rRNA?

Answer 22

mRNA carries code, tRNA brings amino acids, rRNA forms ribosomes.

Question 23

What is the process of transcription?

Answer 23

Copying a gene into mRNA using RNA polymerase.

Question 24

What is the process of translation?

Answer 24

mRNA is decoded by ribosome to assemble a polypeptide chain.

Question 25

What is ATP and what is it made of?

Answer 25

Adenosine triphosphate; adenine, ribose, and three phosphate groups.

Question 26

How does ATP release energy?

Answer 26

By hydrolysis of the terminal phosphate bond to form ADP + Pi.

Question 27

What enzyme is involved in ATP synthesis?

Answer 27

ATP synthase.

Question 28

What is transcription?

Answer 28

The process of copying a gene's DNA sequence into a complementary mRNA strand.

Question 29

Where does transcription occur?

Answer 29

In the nucleus of eukaryotic cells.

Question 30

What enzyme is used in transcription?

Answer 30

RNA polymerase.

Question 31

What happens during the initiation stage of transcription?

Answer 31

RNA polymerase binds to the promoter region of the DNA.

Question 32

What is the role of RNA polymerase?

Answer 32

It unwinds DNA and synthesizes mRNA using complementary base pairing.

Question 33

What is the product of transcription?

Answer 33

A single-stranded mRNA molecule.

Question 34

What is translation?

Answer 34

The process of decoding mRNA to build a polypeptide (protein).

Question 35

Where does translation occur?

Answer 35

In the cytoplasm at the ribosome.

Question 36

What molecules are involved in translation?

Answer 36

mRNA, tRNA, ribosomes, and amino acids.

Question 37

What does tRNA do in translation?

Answer 37

tRNA carries specific amino acids and has anticodons that pair with mRNA codons.

Question 38

What is a codon?

Answer 38

A sequence of three mRNA bases that codes for one amino acid.

Question 39

What is an anticodon?

Answer 39

A three-base sequence on tRNA that is complementary to a codon on mRNA.

Question 40

What happens during the elongation phase of translation?

Answer 40

Amino acids are joined together by peptide bonds to form a polypeptide chain.

Question 41

What is the role of ribosomes in translation?

Answer 41

They facilitate the binding of tRNA to mRNA and catalyse peptide bond formation.

Question 42

What signals the end of translation?

Answer 42

A stop codon is reached on the mRNA.