Biological Molecules - Nucleic Acids

Question 1

What type of information does DNA carry?

Answer 1

Genetic information.

Question 2

What is the function of RNA?

Answer 2

Transfers genetic information from DNA to ribosomes for protein synthesis.

Question 3

How are ribosomes formed?

Answer 3

Off of ribosomal RNA and proteins.

Question 4

What are DNA and RNA examples of?

Answer 4

They are polymers of nucleotides so they are polynucleotides.

Question 5

What is the structure of a nucleotide?

Answer 5

Pentose five carbon sugar, a nitrogen containing organic base and a phosphate group.

Question 6

What are the components of a DNA nucleotide?

Answer 6

Deoxyribose sugar a phosphate group and of the nitrogen containing bases adenine, cytosine or thymine.

Question 7

What are the components of an RNA nucleotide?

Answer 7

Ribose sugar a phosphate group and one of the nitrogen containing organic bases adenine, cytosine, guanine or uracil.

Question 8

What type of bonds are nucleotides joined together by?

Answer 8

Phosphodiester bonds. They are formed via condensation reactions.

Question 9

Which part do the phosphodiester bonds form between in DNA?

Answer 9

The bond forms between the deoxy ribose sugar of one nucleotide and the phosphate group of another.

Question 10

Which part do the phosphodiester bonds form between in DNA?

Answer 10

The bond forms between the deoxy ribose sugar of one nucleotide and the phosphate group of another.

Question 11

What is the shape of a DNA molecule?

Answer 11

A double helix composed of two poly nucleotides joined together by a hydrogen bond between complementary bases, whereas RNA is a relatively short polynucleotide chain.

Question 12

For what reasons is DNA a stable molecule?

Answer 12

– Phosphodiester backbone protects the more chemically reactive nitrogen containing organic bases inside the double helix.
– Hydrogen bond form bridges between the phosphodiester uprights. There are three hydrogen bonds between guanine and cytosine, rather than two for adenine and thymine a higher proportion of, C-G pairings makes DNA more stable.

Question 13

What are the differences between DNA and RNA?

Answer 13

– DNA is double-stranded forming a double helix whilst RNA is usually single stranded.
– RNA has a shorter chain of nucleotides.
– DNA contains a pentose sugar deoxyribose whereas RNA contains the pinto sugar ribose.
- DNA has a nitrogenous base called thymine whereas RNA doesn’t and instead has Uracil.
– There is only one type of DNA but there are three types of RNA (messenger RNA transfer and ribosomal).

Question 14

What are the similarities between DNA and RNA?

Answer 14

– DNA and RNA are made up of monomers called nucleotides.
– DNA and RNA both contain pentose sugars.
– DNA and RNA both have three nitrogenous bases.
– DNA and RNA both have a phosphate group in their nucleotides.

Question 15

What is a purine?

Answer 15

Bases that have a double ring structure, e.g. adenine and nine

Question 16

What is a pyrimidine?

Answer 16

Bases that have a single ring structure, e.g. thymine and cytosine

Question 17

What are the functions of DNA?

Answer 17

Stores and organisms genetic material in the nuclei.
Replicate itself when dividing
Provides code or template for the particular sequencing of amino acids that bond together and make a protein.

Question 18

What does messenger RNA do?

Answer 18

Transcribes genetic information from the DNA template found in a cell’s nucleus and then carries this information to the cell cytoplasm and ribosome.

Question 19

What does ribosomal DNA do?

Answer 19

Is found in a cells cytoplasm in the ribosome it takes mRNA and tRNA and translates the information they provide.

Question 20

What does transfer RNA do?

Answer 20

It is found in a cells cytoplasm and is closely related to mRNA as it helper tRNA literally transfers amino acids the core components of proteins to the mRNA in a ribosome.

Question 21

What is semi conservative replication?

Answer 21

When two strands of DNA unzip and new strand is assembled onto each conserved strand.

Question 22

What are the three steps of semiconservative replication?

Answer 22

1. An enzyme DNA helicase causes the two strands of DNA to separate breaking the hydrogen bonds between the complementary bases.
2. One of the strands is used as the template and the complimentary base pairing occurs between the template strand and free nucleotide.
3. Once activated nucleotide are bound. The enzyme DNA polymerase joins them together by forming phosphodiester bonds. The result is that two identical strands of DNA are formed.