DNA and RNA
DNA is found....
in the nucleus
Location of transcription
the nucleus
Describe the central dogma of biology
DNA to RNA to Protein; the genetic transfer of information
A mutation is....
A change in the DNA code
List some things our knowledge of DNA can be used for (general)
New medicine, forensics, crime, paternal studies, gene therapies, etc.
Three Differences between DNA and RNA
U instead of T
Single vs. double stranded
Ribose instead of deoxyribose
The product of transcription
mRNA
Explain how each type of RNA is used in translation
tRNA: transfer RNAs that shuttle amino acids to the ribosome during synthesis.
rRNA: ribosomal RNA that makes up the structure of the ribosome
List and describe the types of mutations
Point (substitution): one base is swapped for another
Insertion: one or more bases are added to the DNA sequence
Deletion: one or more bases are removed from the DNA sequence
Describe how the mRNA COVID vaccine worked to protect against COVID infections
mRNA vaccine contains mRNA transcript to make spike protein only found on COVID. Body makes these spike proteins, which your body does not recognize and attacks it, making antibodies to that spike protein. So when COVID is actually introduced to your cells, the antibodies needed to destroy it are already present, leading to the quick and efficient death of the COVID infection
What is DNA replication? How are base pairing rules important for this?
the process of copying DNA molecules, base pairing rules ensure the message being copied is accurate, A to T, C to G
What enzymes are needed for transcription? What do they do?
Helicase: unwinds the double helix, exposing the nucleotide sequence to be copied
RNA polymerase: makes an mRNA molecule that is a complementary copy to the DNA sequence being transcribed
What is a codon? What molecule contains codons that are read by the ribosome?
A group of 3 nucleotides (bases) that code for an amino acid; mRNA
List and describe the effects of mutations
1. Silent: amino acid does not change
2. Missense: amino acid changes
3. Nonsense: amino acids changes to a STOP codon
4. Frameshift: every codon after the insertion or deletion is altered
What is PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)? What are some uses?
List and describe the types of RNA used in transcription and translation
mRNA: messenger RNA that is the copy of a gene from the DNA
tRNA: transfer RNAs that bring amino acids to the ribosome during translation
rRNA: ribosomal RNA makes up the ribosome
Describe transcription as in detail as possible.
Transcription is the process of making a copy of a DNA sequence in RNA form using the enzymes helicase and RNA polymerase to make an mRNA copy that is complementary to the DNA sequence that will be used in translation.
Which molecule contains anticodons that are complementary to the codons on the mRNA?
tRNAs
What kinds of mutation occurred in this protein? The normal and mutated amino acid sequences are shown below:
Met-Glu-Gly-Asp-Leu-Arg-Trp-Ser
Met-Glu-Glu-Asp-Leu-Arg-Trp-Ser
Missense
What is gel electrophoresis? What are some uses?
In a sentence, relate DNA and RNA to each other. Be sure to use the follwoing terms: base-pairing rules, complementary, and sequence
RNA is a copy of a sequence of DNA that is comprised of the complementary nucleotides based on base pairing rules.
Describe mRNA processing and why is it important
mRNA processing occurs after transcription and before translation. In this process, introns are removed from the transcript, and exons are spliced together, ensuring that the code moving onto translation is a cohesive message with no junk (introns)
How many codons would be needed to code for 12 amino acids?
12 codons, 1 codon per amino acid
Which mutation is most dangerous to individuals and why?
Frameshifts because the entire reading frame after the insertion or deletion is altered, changing many amino acids in the sequence as a result; leading to a nonfunctional or nonsensical protein
What is CRISPR-Cas9 and why is it so revolutionary?
CRISPR-Cas9 is essentially a cut and paste tool for DNA, using the enzyme Cas9 and a molecule of guideRNA that is complementary to the sequence to be removed. Cas9, with the guide rRNA will cut the DNA molecule specifically at that complementary region, allowing you to change, delete, or insert a gene in that location