Structure of Nucleic acids
What are the two main types of nucleic acids?
What is DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) and RNA (Ribonucleic Acid)?
What is the basic unit (monomer) of nucleic acids called?
What is a nucleotide?
Which nitrogenous base is unique to RNA?
What is Uracil (U)?
What is the shape of the DNA molecule commonly referred to as?
What is a double helix?
Where does translation take place in a cell?
What is a ribosomes (free or on RER)?
What are the nitrogenous bases found in DNA?
What is Adenine (A), Thymine (T), Guanine (G), and Cytosine (C)?
What are the components of a nucleotide?
What is a sugar molecule (deoxyribose in DNA, ribose in RNA), a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base?
Which enzyme is responsible for transcription?
What is RNA polymerase?
What is the amino acid that is coded from the start codon?
What is methionine?
Polypeptides need to be folded into their three-dimensional structure, why (2 reasons)?
What is function and stability?
How does RNA differ from DNA in terms of structure?
RNA is single-stranded, contains ribose sugar, and uses uracil (U) instead of thymine (T).
What is the main function of DNA in living organisms?
What stores and transmits genetic information?
What happens at the promoter region during transcription?
What is where the enzyme binds to initiate transcription?
What is the main purpose of translation in the process of protein synthesis?
What converts mRNA to a protein?
Misfolded proteins can aggregate, leading to cellular stress or diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Where do most proteins go for modification and folding?
What is the endoplasmic reticulum?
What type of bond connects the nitrogenous bases in the DNA double helix and the number of bonds between bases?
What is hydrogen bonds ?
What is it that connects the bases: Adenine pairs with Thymine (A-T) (2) and Guanine pairs with Cytosine (G-C)(3).
Why is DNA replication important?
DNA replication ensures that each new cell receives an exact copy of the genetic material during cell division.
In prokaryotes transcription and translation can happen simultaneously, how?
What is no nucleus and no nuclear membrane?
Which molecule carries amino acids to the ribosome during translation?
What is tRNA?
In the ribosome, a polypeptide chain has been made, how do I terminate?
What is a stop codon?
Name the scientists that discovered the structure of DNA
What is James Watson and Francis Crick?
In eukaryotic cells, how does the compartmentalization of DNA within the nucleus influence its ability to carry out replication, transcription, and gene regulation effectively?
What is to provide a controlled environment, protecting DNA from damage while replication occurs and ensuring efficiency and accuracy.
The last step in transcription is called PROCESSING, here the mRNA is capped, a poly-A tail is added and spliced. What is splicing and name the enzyme responsible?
What introns (non-coding sections) are removed and exons (coding sections) are expressed by a spliceosome ?
What is the final product of translation?
What is a polypeptide chain?
Describe the four distinct levels of protein structure
Primary Structure is the linear sequence of amino acids in the polypeptide chain, held together by peptide bonds.
Secondary Structure involves local folding of the polypeptide chain into structures like alpha helices and beta-pleated sheets, stabilized by hydrogen bonds.
Tertiary Structure is the overall three-dimensional shape of a single polypeptide chain, formed by interactions between side chains (R groups) of amino acids.
Quaternary Structure is structure exists only in proteins made up of two or more polypeptide chains (subunits). Examples include hemoglobin and collagen.