Biochemistry of nucleic acids Flashcards
1
Q
What is the central dogma?
A
The flow of information from DNA towards a functional protein.
2
Q
What is a nucleoside made up of?
A
Base and sugar
3
Q
What end can new nucleotides be added to?
A
3’ end
4
Q
What does primase do?
A
It is an RNA primer which starts DNA synthesis
5
Q
Which enzyme catalyses the synthesis of DNA?
A
DNA polymerase
6
Q
What words describe DNA replication?
A
It is bidirectional, semi conservative and is discontinuous
7
Q
Describe the difference between the leading strand and the lagging strand?
A
- Leading strand (5’ to 3’) always has 3’ end free and is continuous
- Lagging strand (3’ to 5’) has okazaki fragments (short RNA primers) and is discontinuous
8
Q
What is the function of exonuclease?
A
An enzyme which works 3’ to 5’ to remove incorrect nucleotides.
