ch.3 nucleic acids: information molecules

Question 1

Two main varieties of nucleic acids are ___ and ____.

Answer 1

DNA and RNA

Question 2

Genetic information is stored in ____, while ____ plays a variety of roles in the cell, including short lived copies of genetic information used to direct the synthesis of proteins.

Answer 2

DNA, RNA

Question 3

RNA’s roles

Answer 3

-is an integral part of the machinery for protein synthesis
-it can regulate the process of gene expression

Question 4

__________ consists of transcribed single-stranded copes of portions of the DNA.

Answer 4

mRNA (messenger RNA)

Question 5

nucleic acids consist of long polymers of repeating subunits called ________

Answer 5

nucleotides

Question 6

Each nucleotide consists of 3 components:

Answer 6

1. a 5-carbon sugar
2. a phosphate group
3. an organic nitrogen -containing, or nitrogenous, base

Question 7

polynucleotides are formed by joining the _______ of one nucleotide to a _______- group on the sugar of another nucleotide in a _______ reaction.

Answer 7

phosphate, hydroxyl, dehydration

Question 8

nucleic acid

Answer 8

a chain of 5-carbon sugars linked together by phosphediester bonds.

Question 9

DNA molecules in organisms exist as 2 polynucleotide chains wrapped about each other in a long linear molecules in _____, and circular molecules in most ________.

Answer 9

eukaryotes, prokaryotes

Question 10

the spiral shape that DNA strands have is called a _____, and a _____ composed of two chains is called a ______

Answer 10

helix, helix, double helix

Question 11

RNA molecules contain ______ sugars, in which the _____ is bonded to a hydroxyl group. RNA molecules use racial in place of thymine.

Answer 11

ribose, C-2

Question 12

RNA carries information in the form of _____, it is part of the ribosome, in the form of ______, and it carries amino acids in the form of ______.

Answer 12

mRNA, rRNA, tRNA

Question 13

______ is called the energy currency of the cell

Answer 13

ATP