Week 12 Intro to Molecular Biology and Electrophoresis

Question 1

What is Molecular Biology?

Answer 1

Study of molecules of biology, especially the molecule of heredity

Understanding biological systems and techniques for diagnostics and research are key aspects of molecular biology.

Question 2

What is the Central Dogma of Molecular Biology?

Answer 2

Concept describing the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein

It explains how DNA is transcribed into RNA, which is then translated into proteins.

Question 3

What are the four bases in DNA?

Answer 3

• Adenine (A)
• Guanine (G)
• Cytosine (C)
• Thymine (T)

Question 4

What are the four bases in RNA?

Answer 4

• Adenine (A)
• Guanine (G)
• Cytosine (C)
• Uracil (U)

Question 5

What sugar is found in DNA?

Answer 5

Deoxyribose

Question 6

What sugar is found in RNA?

Answer 6

Ribose

Question 7

Fill in the blank: base + sugar + phosphate = _______

Answer 7

nucleotide

Question 8

What type of bonds join nucleotides in DNA?

Answer 8

Phosphodiester bonds

Question 9

What is the orientation of DNA strands?

Answer 9

Anti-parallel

Question 10

What is DNA replication?

Answer 10

Semi-conservative process where old strands serve as templates for new strands

DNA Polymerase is the key enzyme involved.

Question 11

What does RNA synthesis involve?

Answer 11

Transcription

Question 12

What enzyme is required for transcription?

Answer 12

RNA Polymerase

Question 13

What is the role of RNA Polymerase?

Answer 13

Synthesizes RNA in the 5’ to 3’ direction using a DNA template

Question 14

What is pre-mRNA processing?

Answer 14

Modification of mRNA by adding 5’ cap, polyA tail, and splicing out introns

Question 15

What is the function of tRNA?

Answer 15

Transfers amino acids to ribosomes during protein synthesis

Question 16

What is the universal genetic code?

Answer 16

61 codons corresponding to 20 amino acids, including 3 stop codons

Question 17

Fill in the blank: DNA Polymerase is like a _______.

Answer 17

photocopier

Question 18

What is the purpose of PCR?

Answer 18

Amplifies specific regions of DNA

Question 19

What are the three steps of PCR?

Answer 19

• Denaturation
• Annealing
• Extension

Question 20

What is the function of restriction enzymes?

Answer 20

Cut DNA at specific sequences

Question 21

What is recombinant DNA?

Answer 21

DNA made from more than one organism

Question 22

What is a plasmid?

Answer 22

A small, circular DNA molecule used as a cloning vector

Question 23

What is transformation in genetic engineering?

Answer 23

Uptake of foreign DNA by a cell

Question 24

What is cDNA?

Answer 24

Complementary DNA synthesized from mRNA

Question 25

What is the purpose of using cDNA in cloning?

Answer 25

It lacks introns, allowing for proper expression in prokaryotic systems

Question 26

What is the Flavr Savr Tomato an example of?

Answer 26

Transgenic plant

Question 27

True or False: Introns are coding sequences in genes.

Answer 27

False

Question 28

What is a codon?

Answer 28

A sequence of three nucleotides that corresponds to an amino acid

Question 29

What is meant by the term 'Genetic Code'?

Answer 29

The set of rules by which information encoded in genetic material is translated into proteins

Question 30

What does the term 'exon' refer to?

Answer 30

Coding regions of a gene

Question 31

What does the term 'intron' refer to?

Answer 31

Non-coding regions of a gene

Question 32

What is the role of DNA ligase?

Answer 32

Joins DNA fragments together

Question 33

What is one application of DNA profiling?

Answer 33

Paternity testing

Question 34

What is agarose gel electrophoresis used for?

Answer 34

Separating DNA fragments based on size

Question 35

What is the role of the 5' cap and polyA tail in mRNA processing?

Answer 35

Protects mRNA from degradation and aids in translation

Question 36

What is PCR?

Answer 36

Polymerase Chain Reaction, a technique used to amplify DNA sequences ## Footnote PCR allows for the creation of millions of copies of a specific DNA segment.

Question 37

What are the steps of a PCR reaction?

Answer 37

* Denaturation * Annealing * Extension ## Footnote Each step has a specific temperature and duration that is critical for successful amplification.

Question 38

True or False: PCR can detect all infectious agents.

Answer 38

False ## Footnote Some infectious agents do not contain nucleic acid, making them undetectable by PCR.

Question 39

What is electrophoresis?

Answer 39

A tool used to analyze and purify proteins, DNA, and RNA ## Footnote It separates molecules based on size, charge, or both.

Question 40

What equipment is required for electrophoresis?

Answer 40

* Electrophoresis tank * Electrical source * Gel (agarose or polyacrylamide) * Dyes for tracking ## Footnote Each component plays a vital role in the separation process.

Question 41

How do charged macromolecules migrate in electrophoresis?

Answer 41

They move in an electric field; positively charged migrate towards the negative electrode, and negatively charged migrate towards the positive electrode ## Footnote This movement is influenced by their overall charge.

Question 42

What is agarose gel made of?

Answer 42

Linear polysaccharide ## Footnote Different types of agarose are used for various applications in electrophoresis.

Question 43

What is PAGE?

Answer 43

PolyAcrylamide Gel Electrophoresis ## Footnote It uses acrylamide and bisacrylamide to create pores for sieving macromolecules.

Question 44

What is the primary use of agarose gel in electrophoresis?

Answer 44

Separation of larger molecules ## Footnote Agarose gel is typically used for nucleic acids.

Question 45

What is the role of isoelectric focusing (IEF)?

Answer 45

To separate proteins based on charge in a pH gradient ## Footnote Proteins migrate until they reach their isoelectric point (pI), where their net charge is zero.

Question 46

What form of amino acids predominates in neutral solutions?

Answer 46

Zwitterions ## Footnote Amino acids exist as dipolar ions at a neutral pH.

Question 47

Fill in the blank: The first step of a PCR reaction is _______.

Answer 47

Denaturation

Question 48

What happens when small DNA molecules are electrophoresed compared to larger DNA molecules?

Answer 48

Small DNA molecules migrate further ## Footnote Size affects the distance migrated through the gel.

Question 49

What types of molecules can be separated using electrophoresis?

Answer 49

* Proteins * DNA * RNA ## Footnote Electrophoresis is versatile for various macromolecules.

Question 50

What are denatured proteins?

Answer 50

Proteins that have lost their native structure ## Footnote Denaturation can occur due to heat, pH changes, or chemical agents.