Chapter 1: The Study of Biological Information Flashcards

1
Q

What is the value of genetics?

A
  • God created the heavens and the earth (author): discussed through scripture
  • God actively maintains the created order (sustainer)
  • It reveals God
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2
Q

What does all life have in common?

A

Same structure/chemical properties (the ordering determines the organism)

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3
Q

What is DNA?

A

A polymer of nucleotide subunits

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4
Q

What are nucleotides?

A

1) Phosphate group
2) Deoxyribose sugar
3) Nitrogenous base (A, T, G, C)
2 + 3 = nucleoside

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5
Q

What does the orientation of the DNA tell us?

A

*Tells us which direction to read it
3’ and 5’, two strands are opposite to each other

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6
Q

What is RNA?

A

molecule in the decoding process (DNA –> protein) like DNA but has a ribose sugar

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7
Q

What is a base pair?

A

neighbor nucleotides that associate through hydrogen bonds {AT} {GC}

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8
Q

How do we get biological information?

A

The sequence of nucleotides

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9
Q

What is a codon?

A

Three nucleotides which then code for one amino acid

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10
Q

What are chromosomes?

A

assembly of DNA molecules and proteins that contain many genes

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10
Q

What are genes?

A

Sequences of DNA that encode a protein
“segments of information”
(May encode more than one trait or work with other genes to encode one trait)

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11
Q

What is a genome? What is the human genome?

A

The entire collection of chromosomes (set info)
- Humans: 46 chromosomes
– females: 23 sets
– males: 22 sets + X and Y
– 3 x 10^9 base pairs
– genes: unknown! 20,000-30,000

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12
Q

What are proteins? (sequence, type, structure, function)

A

Polymers of the 20 amino acids (64 possible combinations of the 3 nucleotides)
- amino acid sequence determined by the info from DNA order
- type and 3D structure is determined by the amino acid sequence
- diverse function is determined by diverse 3D structure

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13
Q

What are the aspects of amino acids?

A

Amino group & carboxyl group (common backbone), side chain (unique) interacts with ammino acids to determine chemical properties)
- Bonds: peptide bonds (carboxyl + amino group - H2O)
- diff sequence –> unique 3D shape –> function

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14
Q

What are examples of protein roles?

A

Antibodies, enzymes, messenger, structural component, transport/storage
*Important for the function of all life (humans, plants, bacteria)

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15
Q

What are the aspects of RNA?

A
  • Similar structure to DNA but ribose sugar & Uracil (not thiamine)
  • Function: Store info, replicate, mutate, & express information (messenger)
  • Also fold 3 dimensions and catalyze chemical processes: single strand leaves open for degradation, folding protects
  • Tends to be unstable (especially ssRNA)
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16
Q

What does it mean that all organisms use the same molecular specialization?

A

All organisms have
- DNA: store and replicate biological information
- RNA: intermediate in production of
- Proteins: to catalyze biological processes
- Decoding begins at start codon (AUG, Met) and end at stop codon

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17
Q

What are the shortened versions of alanine?

A

Ala, A

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18
Q

What are the shortened versions of aspartic acid?

19
Q

What are the shortened versions of asparagine?

20
Q

What are the shortened versions of cysteine?

21
Q

What are the shortened versions of Glycine?

22
Q

What are the shortened versions of glutamic acid?

23
Q

What are the shortened versions of glutamine?

24
What are the shortened versions of histidine?
His, H
25
What are the shortened versions of isoleucine?
Ile, I
26
What are the shortened versions of leucine?
Leu, L
27
What are the shortened versions of lysine?
Lys, K
28
What are the shortened versions of arginine?
Arg, R
29
What are the shortened versions of methionine?
Met, M
30
What are the shortened versions of phenylalanine?
Phe, F
31
What are the shortened versions of threonine?
Thr, T
32
What are the shortened versions of Tryptophan?
Trp, W
33
What are the shortened versions of tyrosine?
Tyr, Y
34
What are the shortened versions of valine?
Val, V
35
What are the shortened versions of proline?
Pro, P
36
What are the shortened versions of Serine?
Ser, S
37
What about genes with similar function in different organisms?
- produce similar gene products - gene from one organism can often functionally replace a gene in another organism
38
What is the evolutionary understanding of genes?
- gene families come from one ancestral gene - occurs: duplication then sequence divergency (no new code from scratch) - REQUIRES: mutations of key regulatory neteorks
39
What are key regulatory networks and how are they involved in evolutionary ideas?
Affect location, timing, and level of gene expression - ie 2 wing fly from 4 wing fly then convert wings to halteres
40
What are modern genetic techniques?
- Genetic study is the dissection of model organisms: inactivate genes and find out consequences making conclusions about gene product function - Genomics: determine sequence of entire genome (more feasible recently) -- 10 years, 3 billion -- days, $5,000 -- First step now figure out where genes are since only small fraction of DNA is used for protein synthesis
41
What is the purpose of model organisms in genomics?
Learn about a group by focusing on one organism - provide valuable information about biology
42
What are the good and bad of human genetics in society?
- Good: help predict possibilities/risks of disease, design therapeutic drugs, parenting profile - Bad: Discrimination, misinterpretation of information, bioengineered weapons
43
What is the use of interpretation of genetic information?
- Identify diseases before symptoms occur: some genes indicate disease will occur or is more likely to occur - Education is essential for understanding the statistics/probability
44
What are guidelines for genetic engineering?
- 2008: Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act - Transgenetic technology (genetic engineering): routine in animals, what about humans (already been done, HIV resistance in embryos, gene editing for cancer treatment) - HGE determined ethical for cancer treatment - Must be wise and practice good stewardship: enter with caution and think through consequences