DNA Flashcards
What is a nucleotide?
Nucleotides are the subunits (building blocks) of DNA. They consist of a phosphate, deoxyribose (sugar) and a nitrogen base.
What percentage of DNA molecules differ in humans to create unique features?
There is a 0.01% difference in the DNA of all human beings. This means all humans have 99.9% identical DNA.
How does DNA make copies of itself? (Simplified)
The DNA double helix shape unwinds and splits apart. A single strand is known as RNA. Then the DNA is able to make copies of itself to make a replacement new DNA molecule.
Why are the two strands of DNA (make up the double helix) attracted to each other?
The sugar-phosphate chain is attracted to the second chain and must alternate because sugar will only be attracted to phosphate and vice-versa. Two sugars will not attract.
Adenine pairs with _________
Thymine
Guanine pairs with ________
Cytosine
What is a trait?
A feature or characteristic
What is a gene?
A small section of DNA
What is a Genome?
The entire set of 46 chromosomes ( all of your DNA information)
What is a Chromosome
An entire chain of DNA along with a group of stabilising proteins.
How many chromosomes does a human being receive from each biological parent?
23 chromosomes from each parent (46 in total)
What is a karyotype?
A picture of all the homologous chromosomes in a cell arranged from largest to smallest.
What is DNA made up of?
DNA is made up of nitrogen base pairs that alternate, resembling a string of beads held together in a ladder-like structure of the sugar phosphate groups.
What is translation?
The process where RNA leaves the nucleus and makes a protein.
What is a codon?
A codon is a group of three nitrogen bases that RNA has transferee genetic information to in order to be paired with its allocated amino acid, which assists in the creation of a protein.
