Key Terms and Functions
What does the "t" in tRNA and the "m" in mRNA stand for?
What is the purpose of DNA?
To store and pass on genetic information
What causes transcription to start and stop?
Promoters and a Terminator
What is the role of a promoter?
It is a sequence of DNA needed to turn a gene on or off.
Direct manipulation of genes.
Genetic engineering.
UAA; UGA; UAG
What are stop codons
What does the term "semiconservative," in terms of DNA replication, refer to?
The end product of DNA replication results to be a molecule composed of both the original strand as well as a new additional strand- only "conserving" one strand of the original DNA
How is genetic cod evidence of common ancestry?
A majority of all organisms share the same genetic code
What is transduction?
Converting something and especially energy or a message into another.
What are the possible effect of a mutations on the DNA?
Insertion
Deletion
Neutral/no effect
Small circular DNA molecules that replicate separately from bacterial chromosomes
What is a plasmid
Describe the process of DNA replication
"Unzipping" two strands of the original molecule separate; each serves as a template for a new complementary strand
Minus strand or antisense strand
How do retroviruses work?
It uses reveres transcriptase to make its RNA, to DNA, the DNA becomes part of the host's DNA
What does DNA sequencing do?
Determine complete nucleotide order.
What is Turner Syndrome?
A disorder in which a female is born with only one X chromosome.
Define the relationship between adenine guanine, cytosine, and thymine.
Adenine and guanine- purines with 2 rings
Cytosine and Thymine- pyrimidines with one ring
G&C is stronger attraction than A&T
What are the steps of elongation?
Amino acids are added from tRNA one at a time to grow a polypeptide chain; mRNA moves through ribosome; empty tRNA reload with amino acids in the cytoplasm
How is gene expression measured?
Northern blotting, achieved by quantifying levels of the gene product, which is often a protein.
What do restriction enzymes do?
cuts DNA molecules at specific DNA sequences.
What happens during translation and transcription?
Translation - a polypeptide is being made through information in mRNA
Transcription - mRNA is being made through information given by DNA
How do the terms "antiparallel" and "double helix" relate to DNA and its overall structure?
2 strands in DNA run in opposite directions; one strand 5' 3' and the other 3' 5'
What role does RNA polymerase play in transcription?
Why can't genes predict all diseases?
Diseases are hard to predict because it is caused by a lot of different person and there can be environmental influence.
Gel that separates nucleic acid fragments.
Examples: fingerprinting, paternity tests, or forensics.