DNA Flashcards
What does the term DNA stand for?
deoxyribonucleic acid
What type of macromolecule (large molecule) is DNA?
nucleic acid
term for DNA wrapped around a protein; it carries genetic information
chromosome
What are the monomers (smaller molecules that serve as building blocks) of nucleic acids?
nucleotides
What are the three main parts of nucleotides?
- sugar
- phosphate
- nitrogen base
What are the four nitrogen bases in DNA?
adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine
What makes one DNA molecule different from the next?
the order of nitrogen bases
What are the base-pairing rules for DNA?
- A and T pair together
- G and C pair together
Who won the Nobel prize for determining the structure of DNA?
James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins
(Knowing last names only is OK.)
What is the name of the woman whose work was instrumental in determining the structure of DNA?
Rosalind Franklin
(Knowing her last name only is OK.)
What is the shape of a DNA molecule?
double helix
What part(s) of the nucleotide make up the sides of the DNA molecule?
sugar and phosphate
What is the specific sugar that makes up DNA?
deoxyribose
What part(s) of the nucleotide make up the “rungs” of the DNA molecule?
nitrogen bases
Who discovered that the percentage of adenine is always the same as the percentage of thymine in a DNA molecule, and that the percentage of cytosine is always the same as the percentage of guanine?
Erwin Chargaff
(Knowing his last name only is OK.)
