Chapter 9 - Microbial Genetics Flashcards
What is the transmission of biological properties (traits) from parents to offspring, how those traits are expressed, the structure and function of genetic material, and how this material changes is known as?
Genetics
Define Genetics
The study of inheritance or heredity
Define Genome
The sum total of genetic material of an organism
What is Genomics?
The study of an organism’s entire genome
How may genomes appear?
Most exists in the form of chromosomes and
Some may appear in nonchromosomal forms:
What are some non chromosomal form that genome can appear as?
Plasmids: tiny extra pieces of DNA
Organelles: mitochondria and chloroplasts
What are basic informational packets called?
Genes
What is a functional unit of heredity called?
Classical genetics
What is molecular and biochemical genetics?
Site on the chromosome that provides information for a certain cell function
What is a preferred definition of genes?
A segment of DNA that contains the necessary code to make a protein or an RNA
Define genotype
The sum of all types of genes constituting an organism’s distinctive genetic makeup
What is the expression of the genotype that creates certain structures or functions?
Phenotype
What is the basic unit of DNA?
Nucleotide
What is a nucleotide?
Phosphate, Deoxyribose sugar, and Nitrogenous base
What are purines and pyrimidines?
Nitrogenous bases
What nitrogenous base is found in DNA and RNA?
Purines
What pyrimidines are found in DNA?
Cytosine and Thymine
What pyrimidines are found in RNA?
Cytosine and Uracil
What binds to Guanine and Adenine in RNA?
Guanine to Cytosine and Adenine to Uracil
What binds to Adenine and Guanine in DNA?
Adenine to Thymine and Guanine and Cytosine
What enzyme adds bases to the new DNA chain; proofreading the chain for mistakes?
DNA polymerase III
A template strand is an original?
Parental DNA Strand
Each parent DNA strand serves as a?
Template for synthesis of New DNA strands
Semiconservative replication is?
Each daughter molecule is identical to the parent in composition, yet neither is completely new
What synthesizes a new daughter strand of DNA using the parental strand as a template?
DNA polymerase III
DNA must be _______ and ______ before DNA polymerase III can function.
Unwound
Separated
DNA polymerase III can only add _________ to an existing chain- cannot begin _________ a chain of nucleotides but can only add nucleotides in the 5’ to 3’ _______.
nucleotide
synthesizing
direction
Define replication fork
The place in the helix where the strands are unwound and replication is taking place
How many Replications forks will a circular DNA molecule have?
Two
What is a length of RNA that is inserted initially during replication before being replaced by DNA known as?
Primer
What is the strand of new DNA that is synthesized continuously in a 5’ to 3’ direction known as?
Leading strand
The strand of new DNA that must be synthesized in short segments and is Later sealed together to form a strand in the 3’ to 5’ are know as?
Lagging strand
In what direction does the new DNA that is synthesized in short segments process through?
In the 5’ to 3’ direction
What are Okazaki fragments?
Short segments of DNA synthesized in a 5’ to 3’ direction which are then sealed together to form the 3’ to 5’ strand
What is the “Central Dogma” of genetics?
It is the process of turning DNA into proteins
The first step of the “Central Dogma theory is known as?
Transcription- DNA is used to synthesize RNA
What is the second step to the “Central Dogma” theory?
Translation- RNA used to produce proteins
Is the “Central Dogma” complete or incomplete?
Incomplete
What is used to regulate gene function?
A wide variety of RNAs
What is “Junk” DNA?
The DNA that codes for these crucial RNA molecules used to regulate gene function
Where are many genetic malfunctions that cause human disease found?
In regulatory RNA and not in genes for proteins