3.4 genetic information, variation and relationships between organisms Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

dna in prokaryotic cells

A
  • short, circular and not associated with proteins
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

dna in eukaryotic cells

A
  • very long, linear and associated with proteins called histones
  • proteins + dna molecule = chromosome
  • mitochondria and chloroplasts also have own dna, short and circular (like prokaryotic cells)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

gene

A
  • sequence of dna bases that codes for either a polypeptide or functional rna
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

primary structure of polypeptides

A

order or sequence of amino acids in the polypeptide

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

locus

A
  • position of gene on a particular chromosome
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

triplet

A

sequence of 3 DNA bases

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

what do triplets do

A

code for a specific amino acid

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

genetic code is:

A

universal, non overlapping and degenerate

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

non coding DNA

A
  • in eukaryotes, a lot of dna doesn’t code for polypeptides
  • non coding dna = non coding multiple repeats of base sequences between genes
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

exons

A
  • specific sequences between genes that code for amino acid sequences
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

introns

A
  • one or more non-coding sequences that separate exons (within the gene)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

concept of genome

A
  • complete set of genes in a cell
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

concept of proteome

A
  • full range of proteins that a cell is able to produce
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

structure of messenger RNA (mRNA)

A
  • single stranded
  • A,U,G,C
  • mRNA made during transcription
  • carries genetic code from the DNA to the ribosomes, where it is used to make a protein during translation
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

codons in mRNA

A
  • group of 3 adjacent bases
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

structure of transfer RNA (tRNA)

A
  • involved in translation
  • carries amino acids that are used to make proteins to the ribosomes
  • single stranded polynucleotide, folded into a clover shape
  • hydrogen bonds between specific base pairs hold the molecule in shape
  • every tRNA molecule has a specific sequence of three bases at one end called an anti codon
  • also has amino binding site at other end
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

transcription

A
  • mRNA copy of gene made from DNA
  • eukaryotic cells: transcription takes place in nucleus
  • prokaryotes don’t have a nucleus, so transcription takes place in cytoplasm
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

transcription in prokaryotes

A
  • results directly in production of mRNA from DNA
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

transcription in eukaryotes

A
  • results directly in production of pre-mRNA
  • then spliced to form mRNA
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

stages of transcription

A
  1. DNA helix unwinds to expose bases to act as a template
  2. only one chain of dna acts as a template
  3. similar to dna replication, unwinding and unzipping is catalysed by dna helicase
  4. dna helicase breaks hydrogen bonds between bases
  5. free Mrna nucleotides in the nucleus align opposite exposed complementary dna bases
  6. enzyme rna polymerase bonds together the rna nucleotides to create a new rna polymer chain
  7. one entire gene is copied
  8. once copied, the pre-mrna is modified and then leaves nucleus through nuclear envelope pores
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

modification of pre-mRNA into mRNA

A
  • introns spliced out by a protein called splicesome
  • leaves behind only exons, the coding regions
22
Q

process of translation

A
  1. once modified mRNA has left the nucleus, it attaches to a ribosome in the cytoplasm
  2. ribosome attaches at the start codon
  3. tRNA molecule with the complementary anticodon to the start codon aligns opposite the mRNA, held in place by the ribosome
  4. ribosome will move along the mRNA molecule to enable another complementary tRNA to attach to the next codon on the mRNA
  5. the two amino acids that have been delivered by the tRNA molecule are joined by a peptide bond. This is catalysed by an enzyme and requires ATP
  6. this continues until the ribosome reaches the stop codon at the end of the mRNA molecule. This stop codon doesn’t code for an amino acid and therefore the ribosome detaches and translation ends
  7. the polypeptide chain is now created and will enter the Golgi apparatus for folding and modification
23
Q

gene mutations

A
  • change in base sequence of chromosomes
  • can arise spontaneously during DNA replication
24
Q

types of gene mutations

A
  • substitutions
  • deletion
25
Q

substitution

A
  • one base is swapped with another
    e.g ATGCCT -> ATTCCT
26
Q

deletion

A

one base is removed
e.g ATGCCT becomes ATCCT

27
Q

effects of mutations

A
  • degenerate nature of code means that some amino acids are coded for by more than one codon (triplet code)
  • means that not all substitution mutations will result in a change in the amino acid sequence of the protein
28
Q

how does deletion lead to mutation

A
  • changes number of bases present, which causes a shift in all base triplets after it (frame shift mutations)
29
Q

what increases rate of gene mutation

A

mutagenic agents

30
Q

name of a mutation

A
  • non-disjunction
  • mutations in number of chromosomes can arise spontaneously by chromosome non -disjunction during mitosis
31
Q

genetic diversity

A

number of different alleles of genes in a species or population

32
Q

large number of alleles for a characteristic

A

high genetic diversity

33
Q

how is genetic diversity within a population increased

A
  • mutations in DNA forming new alleles, some advantageous, some not
  • different alleles introduced into a population when individuals from another population migrate into it and reproduce (gene flow)
34
Q

purpose of genetic diversity

A
  • allow natural selection to occur
  • if population has low genetic diversity, it may not be able to adapt to change in environment and whole population could be wiped out by a single event
35
Q

genetic bottlenecks

A
  • event that causes a BIG REDUCTION in a population
  • reduces number of alleles in gene pool and so reduces genetic diversity
  • survivors reproduce and larger population is created from few individuals
36
Q

founder effect

A
  • describes what happens when a few organisms from a population start a new colony and there’s only a small number of different alleles in the initial gene pool
  • frequency of each allele in new colony might be different to frequency of these alleles in the original population
  • may lead to higher incidence of genetic disease
37
Q

principles of natural selection in evolution of a population

A
  • randomly occurring mutations sometimes result in a new allele being formed
  • can be harmful which means that the mutated allele quickly dies out
  • however, some mutations can be beneficial to an organisms survival, its frequency in the population increases, leading to reproductive success - natural selection
  • advantageous allele inherited by members of next generation
  • as a result, over many generations, the new allele increases in frequency in the population
38
Q

types of adaptations caused by natural selection

A
  • behavioural
  • physiological
  • anatomical
39
Q

behavioural adapation

A
  • way an organism acts that increases chance of survival
    e.g possums play dead, scorpions dance before mating (ensures they attract same species)
40
Q

physiological adaptation

A
  • processes inside an organism’s body that increases chance of survival
    e.g brown bears hibernate, conserves energy
41
Q

anatomical adaptation

A
  • structural features of an organism’s body that increases chance of survival
    e.g otters = streamlined shape, easy to glide through water
42
Q

types of natural selection

A
  • directional selection
  • stabilising selection
43
Q

directional selection

A

where individuals with alleles for characteristics of an extreme type are more likely to survive and reproduce.
- could be in response to an environmental change

44
Q

example of directional selection

A

bacteria evolving antibiotic resistance:
- some individuals in a bacterial population have alleles that give them resistance to an antibiotic
- population is exposed to the antibiotic, killing the bacteria without resistance allele
- resistant bacteria survive and reproduce without competition, passing on the allele that gives antibiotic resistance to offspring

45
Q

stabilising selection

A
  • where individuals with alleles for characteristics towards the middle of the range are more likely to survive and reproduce
  • occurs when environment isn’t changing and it reduces the range of possible characteristics
46
Q

example of stabilising selection

A

human birth weight:
- very small babies are less likely to survive - high SA:V ratio. means its hard for them to maintain body temp
- very large babies are less likely to survive too. large babies = hard to fit through mother’s pelvis. leads to complications

47
Q

classification definition

A
  • arrangement of organisms into group of various sizes on the basis of shared features
48
Q

taxonomy definition

A

form of classification that focuses on similarities between different species, for ease of naming and identification

49
Q

phylogeny definition

A

classification of organisms by these evolutionary relationships, so that every group shares a common ancestor

50
Q
A