DNA Flashcards
What does DNA stand for?
Deoxyribose, Nucleic, Acid
What is Deoxyribose?
Sugar without oxygen
What is Nucleic Acid?
Storage info
What is DNA?
The main molecule of life
What are the 2 main functions of DNA?
- Carries the code of life
2. Makes proteins
Who discovered DNA?
The structure was discovered in 1953 by 2 scientists: James Watson and Francis crick
What is the shape of DNA?
Double Helix
What are Neuclotides?
Basic structural units of DNA and consist of 3 things…
- Phosphate
- Sugar (deoxyribose)
- Nitrogen base (can be Pyrimidine or Purine)
What are the Nitrogen bases?
Purine= Adenine + Guanine Pyrimidine= Thymine + cytosine
What are Nitrogen bases attached to?
Deoxyribose
What do Hydrogen bonds do?
connect everything together
What do Nitrogen bases do?
Carrie code
DNA replication…
DNA makes a copy of itself
What does a gene do in protein synthesis?
carries the code for making protein
What is a Ribosome?
Site of protein synthesis
What is RNA?
Ribose, Nucleic, Acid
What is the difference between RNA and DNA?
- Single stranded
- Uracil instead of thymine
- Ribose instead of deoxyribose
What are the steps of protein synthesis?
step 1 Transcription:
- mRNA (messenger RNA) goes into the nucleus and copies the DNA
- mRNA then moves from the nucleus to the cytoplasm
Step 2 Translation:
- mRNA attaches to ribosomes
- tRNA consists of 3 Nitrogen bases (anti-codon)
- tRNA lines up with 3 bases in mRNA (codon)
- tRNA drops off amino acid in the correct spot where needed
What do Amino Acids make…
Protein
What are Mutations?
Any change in the DNA structure (specifically the order of nitrogen bases)
What is a Mutagen?
Something that causes mutations in DNA Ex: Smoking, UV Radiation
Can Mutations be Helpful, Harmful, and Neutral?
Helpful: create diversity
Neutral: No effect
Harmful: Cause cancers
Insertion
Nitrogen base added to existing DNA
Deletion
Nitrogen base subtracted from DNA
