DNA Flashcards
DNA
Chemical that all the genetic material in a cell is made up from
How is DNA a polymer?
Made up of lots of repeating units called nucleotides
Where is DNA found?
Nucleus of animal and plant cells
In long structures called chromosomes
Gene
Small section of DNA found on a chromosome
What does each gene code for?
Particular sequence of amino acids which make a specific protein
What does DNA determine?
What proteins cell produces
E.g. haemoglobin, keratin
Which determines what type of cell it is
E.g. red blood cell, skin cell
Genome
Entire set of genetic material in an organism
Why is understanding the human genome important for science and medicine?
Allows scientists to identify genes in genome that are linked to different diseases
Knowing which genes are linked to inherited diseases can help develop treatments
Scientists can trace migration
What is DNA made up of?
Nucleotides
What does each nucleotide consist of?
1 sugar molecule
1 phosphate molecule
1 base
What shape is a phosphate?
Oval
What shape is a sugar?
Pentagon
What shape is a base?
Rectangle
What do the sugar and phosphate molecules in the nucleotides form?
‘Backbone’ to DNA strands
What are the 4 bases?
A
C
T
G
What does 1 of the 4 bases joint to?
Each sugar
What base links with A?
T
What base pairs with C?
G
What is the pairing of the bases called?
Complementary base pairing
What do the order of bases decide?
Order of amino acids in a protein
What is each amino acid coded for by?
A sequence of 3 bases
What controls whether or not a gene is expressed?
Non-coding parts of DNA
Where are proteins made?
In ribosomes
How do ribosomes make proteins?
Using code in DNA
What is the problem about having the DNA in the nucleus?
What is the solution?
Cannot move about because too big
Cell gets code from DNA to ribosome using mRNA
mRNA
Made by copying code from DNA
Acts as a messenger between DNA and ribosome
What do carrier molecules do?
Carry correct amino acids to ribosomes in correct order
