Chapter 3- Nucleic Acids Flashcards
Where does a phosphodiester bond form?
Between the phosphate of one nucleotide and the pentode sugar of the next nucleotide
No. of bases that code for one amino acid?
3
How many diff bases combinations are there?
64
4 X 4 X 4
Why are there so many base combinations when there are only 20 amino acids?
- several codons code for one amino acid
- some used as start and stop codons
Why is DNA replication considered semi- conservative?
- one strand from original DNA and one strand newly formed
- original strand acts as a template for new strand
Why is complementary base pairing important in DNA replication?
- same sequence of nucleotides produced
- reduces occurrence of mutations
- allows formation of hydrogen bonds
Describe structural relationship between deoxyribose and other components of DNA molecule
- part of the nucleotide
- bonded to phosphate at C5 and joined to base at C1
- part of the backbone of DNA
Describe how a nucleotide base sequence in a gene is used to synthesise a polypeptide?
Transcription
- DNA is transcribed to mRNA
- done when free RNA nucleotides line up by complementary base pairing to form sense strand
- catalysed by RNA polymerase
Translation
- mRNA moves to ribosomes
- tRNA anticodons bind to mRNA codons
- correct amino acid attached to tRNA
- peptide bond formed between the amino acids
Describe how the DNA molecule replicates
- semi conservative replication
- helix unwinds
- 2 polypeptide chains unzip
- h bonds between bases break
- each strand acts as a template
- free DNA nucleotides align with exposed bases by complementary base pairing in which pyramidine binds with purine
- h bonds reform
- DNA polymerase joins adjacent nucleotides together to form sugar phosphate backbone by phospodiester bonds
- each new molecule has 1 old and 1 new strand
Difference in structure between DNA and RNA?
- mRNA shorter
- mRNA single stranded
- mRNA non helical
- RNA contains ribose. DNA contains deoxyribose
- RNA contains uracil. DNA contains thymine
Why DNA is not able to leave nucleus?
Too big to fit through nuclear pore
Why mRNA is shorter than DNA?
-mRNA only codes for 1 protein but DNA codes for many proteins
Components of DNA nucleotide?
- phosphate
- deoxyribose sugar
- nitrogenous base
What does a gene code for?
A protein
Suggest how changing the sequence of DNA nucleotides affects the final product the DNA codes for
-diff sequence of amino acids and thus a diff protein
Explain how the structure of DNA allows replication
- double stranded. Each stand acts as a template
- hydrogen bonds between bases breaks easily. Allows for complementary base pairing of free nucleotides in which purine is only able to bind with pyramidine
Suggest how info on the proportion of bases helps scientists figure out the structure of DNA
- A always bonds to T
- C always bonds to G
- thus pyramidine bonds to purine
- evidence for complementary base pairing
State the role of mRNA
Carries a copy of the gene out of the nucleus to the ribosome for protein synthesis
Which technique was used to determine the double helical structure of DNA?
X- ray crystallography