DNA Flashcards
What does DNA stand for?
Deoxiyribonucleic Acid
What shape is DNA?
Double helix
What is a gene?
Section of DNA found in a chromosome
What is a geome?
Fancy name for set of genetic material in an organism
Why is understand geomes important for science?
-Linked to different inherited diseases and can help come up fro effective treatments
What does a nucleotide contain?
A sugar, a phosphate group and a base
What is a base (DNA)?
Four different bases (A,T,G,C) joins to a sugar
Has a complimentary base (A=T, G=C)
Why is there complimentary pairings?
Decided the order of amino acids in a protein
Ribosomes in DNA
In proteinsynthesis they use the DNA codes. But to get the DNA from the nucleus there is a messenger molecule -mRNA
Name Functions of proteins
-Enzymes
-Hormones
-Structural proteins (e.g. collogen)
DNA mutations
Spontaneously when the chromosome isn’t replicated properly
Change the sequence of DNA which produces a variant
Most mutations don’t affect the protein but some can cause it to be misshaped or not be able to do its function (e.g. active site change)
Types of Mutations
Insertions
Deletions
Substitutions
What is insertions?
A new base where it shouldn’t be in the DNA
What is deletions?
When a random base is deleted from the DNA sequence
What is substitutions?
Random base is substitutes
What are alleles?
Two versions of each gene (allele)
Define homozygous
The same alleles for a cell
Define heterozygous
Different alleles when the dominant gene is present
What is a genotype?
an organism with complete set of DNA
What 3 conclusions did Mendel reach?
Characteristics were determined by hereditary units
Hereditary units were passed onto offspring from both parents (one unit from each parent)
Hereditatry units were either dominant or recessive
