A1.2 Nucleic Acids SL

Question 1

What does DNA stand for?

Answer 1

DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic acid

Question 2

What does DNA do?

Answer 2

DNA stores the genetic information that is passed from parent to offspring

Question 3

What is a polymer?

Answer 3

A polymer is something that is made up of a long strand of repeating nucleotides

Question 4

What do viruses use in order to transmit hereditary information?

Answer 4

Some viruses use deoxyribonucleic acid and others use ribonucleic acid

Question 4

What do all living organisms use to transmit hereditary information from one generation to the next?

Answer 4

Deoxyribonucleic acid

Question 4

Draw a nucleotide….

Answer 4

….

Question 4

What do nucleotides contain?

Answer 4

A phosphate group a pentose sugar and a nitrogenous base

Question 4

Draw a nucleotide being linked to another one….

Question 4

What are nucleotides linked by?

Answer 4

Nucleotides are linked by a covalent bond (phosphodiester bond) between the pentose sugar of one and a phosphate group of another

Question 5

What are the bases in RNA?

Answer 5

Adenine-Uracil
Cytosine-Guanine

Question 5

What are the bases in DNA?

Answer 5

Adenine-Thymine
Cytosine-Guanine

Question 6

Which bases are purine and which bases are pyrimidine?

Answer 6

Adenine, Guanine are purines
Cytosine, Thymine and Uracil and pyrimidines

Question 7

What is the structural differences between purines and pyrimidines?

Answer 7

Purines are double rings whereas pyrimidines are single rings

Question 8

What does the sequence of bases determine?

Answer 8

The bases determine the genetic code

Question 9

What forms a phosphodiester bond and what happens?

Answer 9

Phosphodiester bonds are formed by a condensation rxn and here a water moelcule gets removed

Question 10

What condensation rxn forms a phosphodiester bond?

Answer 10

A condensation rxn were a water molecule is removed in order to form a covalent bond

Question 10

Draw a condensation rnx forming a phosphodiester bond….

Answer 10

….

Question 11

What do bases need in between in order for them to connect?

Answer 11

-Bases need a hydrogen bond between them
-A-T have 2 hydrogen bons
-C-G have 3 hydrogen bonds

Question 12

What is gene expression?

Answer 12

-Gene expression refers to using the codes in DNA in order to synthesise a protein
1. DNA is used as a template to make RNA
2. RNA is translated into a protein

Question 12

Draw a DNA molecule….

Answer 12

….

Question 13

How can DNA molecules vary?

Answer 13

DNA molecules can vary in length and pattern of bases

Question 13

What are the structural similarities between DNA and RNA

Answer 13

-Both DNA and RNA are polymers of nucelotides
-In both DNA and RNA Cytosine binds with Guanine

Question 13

What are the structural differences between DNA and RNA?

Answer 13

-DNA is double stranded
-RNA is single stranded
-DNA has deoxyribose
-RNA has ribose sugar
-In RNA Adenine-Thymine
-In RNA Adenine-Uracil

Question 14

How does DNA replication work?

Answer 14

1. A DNA molecule is split into two strands
2. Each of these strands is used as a template for synthesizing a new strand
3. We end up with two identical DNA molecules

Question 14

What makes all living organisms the same?

Answer 14

Universal genetic code, which is interpreting the codes from RNA the same way

Question 14

What is complementary base pairing used for?

Answer 14

-Complementary base pairing is used for DNA replication & gene expression

Question 15

What does the universal genetic code show evidence for?

Answer 15

The universal genetic code is evidence that all life arose from a common ancestor