Biology UNIT 4- Genetic Information, variation, relationships between organisms Flashcards
What are the 4 bases of DNA?
Adenine A
Thymine T
Cytosine C
Guanine G
A=T G=-C
What is the structure of a nucleotide?
Phosphate -ester bond- pentose sugar- glycosidic bond- nitrogenous base.
What are purines and pyrimidines?
Purines- Adenine (A) and guanine(G) [Double ringed structure]
Pyrimidines- Thymine (T) and Cytosine (C) [single ringed structure]
In what way does DNA replicate?
Semi-conservatively
Explain how DNA replicates.
DNA helicase breaks the hydrogen bonds between the DNA helix separating it into 2 strands. Primase puts a a primer on the leading strand (5prime to 3prime) for DNA polymerase to join free nucleotide bases to the complimentary bases on the leading strand. The lagging strand (3prime to 5prime) needs multiple primers for DNA polymerase to work on. This makes fragments which need to be connected by ligase which joins the strands together. This results in 2 daughter strands with half new and half old DNA.
What are the DNA Replication theories?
Conservative- Parent strand acts as template for replication.
Dispersive- Old and New strands are dispersed between each other.
Semi conservative- 2 Daughter strands containing one of the original strands an one new strand.
What is RNA and what are the base pairs?
A single strand made up of nucleotide bases
A-U Uracil replaces thymine.
G-C
What are the different types of RNA?
mRNA- messenger RNA
tRNA- Transfer RNA
rRNA- Ribosomal RNA
What does mRNA do?
- Made in the nucleus during transcription
- Determines the sequence of amino acids for the protein product
- Able to leave the nucleus to associate with ribosomes
- Sequence of nucleotides is the genetic code.
What is Translation?
Complimentary base pairing occurs between the codons of mRNA and anticodons of tRNA.
What is Transcription?
Occurs in nucleus where DNA is used as a template for mRNA
1) RNA polymerase binds to DNA causing it to unzip.
2) DNA & RNA bases link as RNA polymerase joins nucleotides to the RNA molecules (which grow)
3) mRNA reaches termination region and dissociates from the template as transcription is completed.
4) Splicing matures mRNA so the strand can leave the nucleus through nuclear pores.
What is splicing during mRNA transcription?
Introns (non-coding sections) of mRNA stand are removed and the exons (coding sections) are joined together.
What does tRNA do?
- Single polypeptide folded into a clover shape
- One end attached to an amino acid
- Carriers amino acids to the ribosomes in order to make proteins.
- One end has anticodons (complimentary to mRNA codons)
- Carry various amino acids as each acid has a different anticodon sequence.
Why do cells asexually reproduce?
- Growth
- Repair
- Replacement
What are the stages in a cells life?
G1 [Interphase] Synthesis [Interphase] G2 [Interphase] Mitosis Cytokinesis
What are the stages of Interphase and what happens in each stage?
G1- Cellular contents (excluding chromosomes) are replicated, the cells expand, organelles replicate (46 Chromosomes)
Synthesis- DNA replication as each chromosome is duplicated (92)
G2- Final repair/checks
G0- Occasionally a cell may need to die.
What are the stages in mitosis?
Prophase Metaphase Anaphase Telophase Cytokinesis comes after.
What happens to a cell during Prophase?
Mitosis begins cell division
- 46 chromosomes becomes 92
- Chromatids form (copies of DNA)
- Centriols form at each end of the cell
- Spindle fibres attached to centrioles appear
What happens to a cell during Metaphase?
- Chromatids attach to spindle fibres
- Spindle fibres attach at the kineticore
- Chromosomes move to middle of the cell
What happens to a cell during Anaphase?
- Chromatids (pairs of chromosomes) are separated and begin to move to opposite ends of the cell.
- Spindle fibres pull them apart
What happens to a cell during Telophase?
- Two nuclei form
- Chromosomes appear as chromatin (threads)
- Mitosis ends and a nucleus forms
- Spindle fibres and centrioles dissappear
- Cell membranes start to form
What happens to a cell during Cytokinesis?
- Cell membranes move apart to make daughter cells
- Chromosomes re-condense and become smaller
- New daughter cells go back into Interphase.
What is Cancer?
The uncontrolled division of abnormal/mutated cells in a part of the body.
These cells have the ability to migrate to other areas.
What is a tumour?
A large group of abnormal cells piled together in a neoplasm is called tumour. Tumours can develop in any tissue or organ in the body.
What is Binary Fission?
Division into half (Asexual reproduction) of prokaryotes.
Division of bacteria cells.
What are the steps in Binary Fission?
1) DNA strands and plasmids are coppied
2) Move to either end of the cell
3) cells split into two and new cell walls form
4) Cells are not identical completely. DNA / Chromosomes are the same however plasmids may differ from cell to cell.
What is the equation to calculate population time?
b= B x 2^n
b= number of bacteria at end B= number of bacteria at start n= number of generations of division
Out of Eukaryotes, Mitochondria, Chloroplasts and prokaryotes, which have the smallest/ least volume of DNA?
Eukaryotes- most
Prokaryotes- less
Mitochondria/Chloroplasts- least
What proteins surround DNA in Eukaryotes?
Histome proteins
What is the DNA like in Mitochondria, Chloroplasts and prokaryotes?
Circular DNA
In prokaryotes only 1 chromosome and therefore only one version of each gene.
What are 3 properties of DNA?
DNA is universal, as the bases are the same in DNA in all organisms.
DNA is in distinct triplet codes and therefore does not overlap.
DNA is degenerate, more than one codon can code for the same amino acids.
Define Genome
All the DNA of an organism
Define Proteome
The set of expressed proteins in a given type of cell/organism at a given time.
What are the exons and introns?
Introns- non-coding regions of DNA
Exons- coding regions of DNA
What is transcription?
The process where a copy of DNA is made which is called mRNA.
What are the main steps in transcription?
1) DNA in nucleus is unzipped by helicase and the molecule is broken into 2 strands. (antisense 3’-5’ and sense 5’-3’)
2) RNA nucleotides binds to their complementary base pair on the antisense strand and RNA polymerase joins the bases together.
3) the pre mRNA molecule is formed and must be modified in order to leave the nucleus.
How is pre mRNA modified?
- A modified G (Guanine) cap is put on the 5’ end of the transcript.
- A poly-A-tail is attached to the 3’ end. (a long chain of adenine nucleotides)
What is splicing?
A protein called a spliceosome removes the introns and joins together the exons in the mRNA molecule.
The mRNA strand can now leave the nucleus through a nuclear pore.
What is Translation?
The process where mRNA is read and translated into a protein.
Takes place in the cytoplasm