DNA Flashcards
what are codons
a sequence of three DNA or RNA nucleotides that corresponds with a specific amino acid or stop signal during protein synthesis
what are anticodons
a sequence of three nucleotides in transfer RNA that binds to a corresponding codon and designates a specific amino acid.
nucleotides
a group of biological molecules that contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen & phosphate.
what are the 2 types of nitrigenous bases that nucleotides contain?
- purines
- pyrimidines
what nitrogenous bases do purines contain?
- adenine
- guanine
what nitrogenous bases do pyrimidines contain?
- thymine
- cytosine
- uracil
what is ATP?
- an energy transferring molecule (not a storage molecule)
- called the “universal energy currancy” because its a universal energy source used in all living organisms
how is ATP formed?
formed in an endergonic (energy-requiring) reaction
where does the energy required to make ADP come from?
cell respiration
exergonic reaction
releases energy
endergonic reaction
absorbs energy
why is ADP useful as an energy source for biological reactions?
- atp hydrolisis releases energy in small, managable amounts
- lots of energy would be wasted as hear, causing organism to overheat- enzymes would denature
what are formed when nucleotides are joined together?
nucleic acids
DNA function
to hold genetic information
RNA function
transfers genetic information from DNA to the ribosomes- process of protein synthesis.
how is the amino acid sequence determined
by the sequence of bases (a gene) in DNA
what are the complimentary base pairings
- thymine/uracil & adenine
- cytocine & Guanine