1.1 and 1.2 DNA and Proteins

Question 1

What is the structure of DNA?

Answer 1

• Two strands wrapped around each other (double helix).
• Backbone, consisting of alternating sugar and phosphate molecules.
• Attached to the sugar molecules, one of the four bases.
• Base pairs with its complementary base pair.

Question 2

What is Nucleotide made up of?

Answer 2

A sugar molecule (in DNA it is deoxyribose sugar)
A phosphate group
Nitrogenous base

Question 3

What is the process of DNA Replication?

Answer 3

Enzymes (Helicase) unzip and split the DNA double helix into two strands, exposing the bases
The two strands act as templates for the new strands of DNA
Free nucleotides in the nucleus bind to their complimentary base pair on both the template and complimentary strands of the DNA
DNA Polymerase (enzyme) joins free nucleotides together to form growing DNA strands
The two pairs of DNA strands then re-twist into two separate (but identical) DNA molecules
As each DNA molecule contains one old strand and one new strand, the process is called semi-conservative replication