DNA Structure and Function
What two molecules make up the backbone of a DNA strand?
Deoxyribose and Phosphate
What is the term for a group of three nucleotide bases in mRNA that specify a particular amino acid?
Codon
What do you call a protein that binds to specific sequences on the DNA and either increases or decreases gene expression?
Transcription Factor
Which type of nucleic acid has the sugar Deoxyribose?
DNA
What two nitrogenous bases are considered purines?
Adenine and Guanine
Transcription occurs in the nucleus, but where does translation take place?
Ribosome
The concept that explains why a liver cell performs different functions than a muscle cell, even though both cells contain the exact same DNA.
Different Gene Expression
What type of nucleic acid contains the base Uracil?
RNA
According to Chargaff's rule, the nitrogenous base Adenine always pairs with Thymine, and Cytosine always pairs with what base?
Guanine
What type of RNA carries genetic information from the nucleus to the ribosome?
mRNA (messenger RNA)
What is the primary role of HOX genes in an organism?
They determine the identity of body parts along the head-to-tail axis during embryonic development.
What is the biotechnology used to separate DNA fragments by their length (size)?
Gel Electrophoresis
What type of bonds hold together the nitrogenous bases?
Hydrogen Bonds
What is the enzyme responsible for linking nucleotides together to create a new DNA strand?
DNA polymerase
Which type of substitution mutation results in a premature STOP codon, causing the resulting protein to be incomplete and likely non-functional?
A Nonsense mutation
What is the term for the enzymes used to cut DNA at a specific sequence of nucleotides (a recognition site)?
Restriction Enzymes
How many hydrogen bonds are typically used to link Adenine and Thymine?
2
If the DNA sequence is ATGGCAGGTCTATTA, what is the complementary mRNA sequence?
UACCGUCCAGAUAAU
Why is a frameshift mutation (insertion or deletion) usually more damaging than a simple substitution?
It alters every amino acid that follows the point of the mutation.
What biotechnology is used to create millions of copies from just a tiny amount of DNA?
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)