Unit 2 test (Ch. 10-15) Flashcards
(261 cards)
What is a gene?
It’s a discrete unit of hereditary info
what does a gene consist of?
consist of a specific nucleotide sequence in DNA
What kind of DNA sequences make proteins?
Coding DNA sequences
What kind of DNA sequences make funbctional RNA molecules?
Non-coding DNA sequences
What is a genome?
Genetic material of organisms/virus, including non-coding DNA sequences
True or false?
Genome size corresponds with the number of genes in an organism/virus.
False. It does not correlate with the number of genes.
approximately how many genes in a genome?
21,000
What has the lowest coding gene density due to large amount of non-coding dna
Mammals
what is the structure of DNA in Eukaryotic cells?
Form of Chromatin
What are DNA molecules bound to in eukaryotic cells?
special proteins called Histones
when DNA and histones condense… it’s called?
chromatin
what is an example of a histone?
H2A, H2B,H3,H4
Why is DNA bound to histones?
to condense into chromatin and protect it.
what is a nucleosome?
DNA wrapped around a histone
what are the 2 types of chromatin?
Euchromatin and heterochromatin
what is euchromatin?
loose and found througout the nucleus when cell divides (not easily visible)
Genes can be expressed in this form. Which chromatin is it?
Euchromatin
why can euchromatin allow genes to be expressed?
because the genome is active
what is heterochromatin?
Tightly packed, darkly stained and found close to nuclear membrane.
why cant genes be expressed in heterochromatin?
because a portion of the genome is inactive so that portion of the genome will not be able to express it’s genes.
what loosens the euchromatin?
acetyl groups on histones
what causes the heterochromatin to condense?
Deactylation and presence of methyl groups on cytosine
How do histones condense chromatin? (Turn into heterochromatin?)
-Since DNA is -ve and histones are +ve
-they attract.
-acetylation removes the =ve charge on histones to loosen
-methylation of cytosine can help recruit proteins to the area that will help condense chromatin
what is Epigenetics?
the process of activating and deactivating genes through chemical modification