Central Dogma Flashcards
Why is DNA important?
Holds the instructions for organism to develop, function and reproduce
Where in the cell does DNA reside? Is it single stranded or double stranded?
Nucleus - double stranded
What is metabolism and how is it regulated?
Sum of all chemical reactions that occur within cell or organism - regulated by proteins
What is a gene?
A segment of DNA passed hereditarily which codes for proteins
What is a chromosome?
A tightly wrapped strand of DNA
How RNA relate to DNA? Is it single stranded or double stranded?
RNA is a single stranded segment transcribed from DNA
How does RNA relate to proteins?
RNA gets translated into proteins
What does the ribosome do?
Makes proteins - where translation occurs
Transcription vs. translation
Script - DNA is unzipped and specific genes are copied in form of RNA
Lation - mRNA is used a template to make polypeptide chains made of amino acids - fold into protein
What are mutations? What are some of the possible outcomes of mutations?
Any change in the DNA sequence - good, bad, neutral
What are some of the things that can cause mutations?
Ultra violet rays, ionzing radiation, certain viruses, random duplication errors, chemicals
What are frameshift mutations and why do they tend to be so harmful?
(Deletion and insertion) Frameshift mutations shift the DNA sequence causing changes in the way the sequence is read (code for something completely different)
What backup systems does the cell have for when it encounters mutations/DNA damage?
DNA repair pathways - many different kinds depending on damage (base mismatch, single strand damage, double strand damage)
