2: Nucleic acids Flashcards

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1
Q

DNA

A

Deoxyribonucleic acid

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2
Q

RNA

A

Ribonucleic acid

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3
Q

Role of dna

A

Carries genetic information

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4
Q

Nucleotide structure

A
  • a pentose sugar
  • a phosphate gorup
  • a nitrogen containing organic base (thymine, adenine, guanine, cytosine, uracil)
    All joined by condensation reaction, polynucleotide joined by phosphodiester bond
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5
Q

RNA structure

A

A polymer made up of nucleotides. Its a single, relatively short polynucleotide chain
- the pentose sugar is always ribose
- organic bases are G, C, A, U
- transfers genetic info from dna to ribosomes

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6
Q

DNA structure

A
  • the pentose sugar is deoxyribose
  • organic bases G,C,A,T
  • made of TWO strands of nucleotides
  • extremly long strands joined by hydrogen bonds
  • double helix
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7
Q

Is DNA a stable or unstable molecule, why?

A

Stable
- the phosphodiester backbone protects the more chemically reactive organic bases inside the double helix
- hydrogen bonds link bases forming bridges (3 bonds between G+C so more gc the more stable)

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8
Q

How is DNA adapted for its function

A
  • v stable structure, passes from generation without signif change. most mutations are repaired
  • strands only joined by hydrogen, can be seperated for dna replication and protein synthesis
  • v large, carries lots of info
  • bases protected from chemicals
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9
Q

Cell division occurs in two main stages:

A
  • nuclear divison (nucleus divides; mitosis + meiosis)
  • cytokinesis (whole cell divides)
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10
Q

Requirements for semi-conservative replication

A
  • four types of nucleotide with each of their bases present
  • both strands act as template for attachment of nucleotides
  • the enzyme dna polymerase
  • source of chemical energy
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11
Q

Process of semi-conservative replication

A

1) enzyme dna helicase breaks hydrogen bonds so double helix unseperates and unwinds
2) each polynucleotide strand is exposed and acts as template to bind complementary nucleotides
3) binded by condesation reaction by enzyme dna polymerase, makes phosphodiester bonds
4) each of new DNA molecules contains one original dna strand

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12
Q

Structure of ATP

A

Adenosine triphosphate
- adenine (nitrogen containing organic base
- ribose (pentose sugar, backbone)
- phosphates (chain of 3 phosphate groups)

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13
Q

How does atp store energy?

A

The chain of three phosphate groups are only connected by an unstable weak bond so theres low activation energy, when bonds broken lots of energy is released.

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14
Q

equation to have energy as a product of atp

A

atp + h20 = adp + Pi + energy

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15
Q

Synthesis of ATP

A

reversible reaction to convert ATP to ADP. ATP formed by an inorganic phosphate and ADP. Condensation reaction catalysed by the enzyme ATP synthase.

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16
Q

Is ATP an immediate or long term energy source?

A
  • its an immediate energy source not long term bc of instable phosphate bonds
    It cant be stored and so is continously made in mitochondria
17
Q

Why is ATP better than glucose?

A
  • energy released in smaller more manageable quantities
  • the hydrolysis of ATP to ADP is just one single reaction
18
Q

Role of ATP

A
  • metabolic processes
  • movement
  • active transport
  • secretion
  • activation of molecules
19
Q

why is a water molecule dipolar?

A

A hydrogen atom has a slightly positive charge and an oxygen atom has a slightly negative charge so the water molecule has both positive and negative poles

20
Q

Does water have a high or low specific heat capacity?

A

High, as it takes more energy to heat a given mass of water.
Makes water act as a buffer against temp change

21
Q

Latent heat of vaporisation in water

A

hydrogen bonding between water molecules means more energy needed to evaporate. means sweats effective way of cooling body bc body heats needed to evaporate

22
Q

Where do inorganic ions occur

A

in solution in the cytoplasm and body fluids of organisms. some in high conc some in very low

23
Q

Role of diff ions example

A

hydrogen- determining pH (enzyme)
iron ions- carry oxygen in haemoglobin
sodium ions - co transport of glucose and amino acids
phosphate ions - components of DNA and ATP