Stucture and function of nucleic acids

Question 1

What are the 2 classes of nucleic acid?

Answer 1

Ribonucleic acid (RNA)

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

Question 2

What are the 3 forms of RNA?

Answer 2

Messenger RNA, Ribosomal RNA, Transfer RNA

Question 3

What degree of structure does RNA have as a protein?

Answer 3

Secondary protein

Question 4

What degree of structure does DNA have as a protein?

Answer 4

Tertiary protein

Question 5

How many forms of DNA are there?

Answer 5

One

Question 6

What are the 3 functions of DNA?

Answer 6

Store genetic info, direct DNA synthesis, direct transcription

Question 7

What process is used to synthesise DNA?

Answer 7

Semi-conservative replication, where in a synthesised DNA molecule one strand is from the template DNA (original strand) and complementary strand is synthesised

Question 8

What is transcribed from DNA?

Answer 8

Complementary mRNA strand

Question 9

What are the 2 functions of mRNA?

Answer 9

Translation at ribosomes to produce polypeptides, carry genetic info

Question 10

What is the function of tRNA?

Answer 10

Transfer amino acids to ribosome during translation in protein synthesis

Question 11

What shape is a tRNA molecule?

Answer 11

Cloverleaf

Question 12

Where does the amino acid attach to tRNA?

Answer 12

The terminal nucleotide on the 3’ end of tRNA molecule

Question 13

What is the anticodon in tRNA?

Answer 13

Trinucleotide sequence that lines up with complementary mRNA codon in translation

Question 14

What 3 loops are in a tRNA molecule?

Answer 14

Variable loop, D loop, Tψc-loop

Question 15

What is the function of rRNA?

Answer 15

To bind to tRNA and mRNA to ensure that the amino acid sequence is correctly formed in translation

Question 16

What attaches to the A site of rRNA?

Answer 16

Incoming tRNA molecule coupled to an amino acid

Question 17

What attaches to the P site of rRNA?

Answer 17

Binds to tRNA so that peptidyl transferase can from peptide bond between tRNA-coupled amino acid and growing polypeptide

Question 18

What occurs at the E site of rRNA?

Answer 18

tRNA molecule exits ribosome after giving up its amino acid

Question 19

What organelle is rRNA found in?

Answer 19

Ribosome

Question 20

What is a nucleotide composed of?

Answer 20

Pentose sugar, phosphate group, base

Question 21

In nucleic acid strands, what bonds join nucleotides together?

Answer 21

Phosphodiester

Question 22

What is a nuceloside composed of?

Answer 22

Pentose sugar, base

Question 23

What acid is phosphate group derived from, and what is the chemical formal

Question 24

What pentose sugar is in DNA nucleotides?

Answer 24

Deoxyribose (C5H10O4)

Question 25

What pentose sugar is in RNA nucleotides?

Answer 25

Ribose (C5H10O5)

Question 26

What is the difference between the pentose sugars in RNA and DNA?

Answer 26

DNA pentose sugar has one less oxygen atom

Question 27

How many rings do purine bases have?

Answer 27

Double-ringed

Question 28

What are the 2 purine bases?

Answer 28

Adenine, Guanine

Question 29

Are purines or pyrimidines larger?

Answer 29

Purines are larger than pyrimidines

Question 30

What are the 3 pyrimidine bases?

Answer 30

Thymine, Cytosine, Uracil

Question 31

How many rings do pyrimidine bases have?

Answer 31

Single-ringed

Question 32

What base is only present in DNA, not in RNA?

Answer 32

Thymine

Question 33

What base is only present in RNA, not DNA?

Answer 33

Uracil

Question 34

What order is the nucleic acid strand read in?

Answer 34

5' to 3' direction

Question 35

What does 5' refer to in the nucleic acid?

Answer 35

5th C atom in pentose sugar, that is bonded to oxygen below phosphate group

Question 36

What does 3' refer to in the nucleic acid?

Answer 36

3rd C atom in pentose sugar, that is bonded to oxygen above phosphate group

Question 37

Which carbon atom in the pentose sugar is bonded to the base?

Answer 37

1st C atom

Question 38

In Watson-Crick base pairing, which bases are paired together?

Answer 38

A with T/U C with G Purine with pyrimidine

Question 39

What bonds are between paired bases in nucleotide strands?

Answer 39

Hydrogen bond between N-H group and doubly-bonded O atom