DNA and RNA Flashcards
Who discovered DNA?
Watson
What are the four bases?
Adenine
Guanine
Thymine
Cytosine
What joins the bases toghter?
Hydrogen bonding
What shape is DNA?
Double helix
How many bonds are there between A and T?
2
How many bonds are there between G and C?
3
What are the components of the backbone of DNA?
Phosphate and deoxyribose
What is a nucleotide?
A phosphate, a sugar and a nitrogen containing a base
What does DNA stand for?
Deoxyribonucleic acid
What is a purine?
Double-ring molecule
What bases are purines?
Adenine and guanine
What is a pyrimidine?
Single ringed molecule
What bases are pyrimidines?
Thymine and cytosine
What is the detergent’s function in the isolation of DNA?
It causes the cell membranes to break which releases DNA from cells
What is salt’s function in the isolation of DNA?
Causes DNA molecules to clump together
Why was the solution put in a water bath at 60 degrees for 15mins?
Denature enzyme that would digest the DNA. If left longer than 15 mins DNA would break down
Why was the mixture placed in a beaker of ice water for 5mins?
Slow down the breakdown of DNA
Why is the mixture only blended for 3 secs at high speed?
Breakdown cell walls and release DNA. Blending too long would break down DNA strands
Why was protease enzyme added?
Breaks down proteins around the DNA
Why was ice cold alcohol added?
Alcohol removes water from DNA, which causes it to float to top of water. DNA is insoluble in ice-cold alcohol so it precipitates at alcohol-filtrate boundary.
Why was the mixture filtered?
To separate cell parts from the filtrate (DNA and proteins)
What is DNA profiling?
A method of making a unique pattern of bands from the DNA of a person to distinguish that DNA from other DNA.
What is genetic screening?
Testing the DNA for the presence or absence of a particular gene or altered gene.
What is DNA translation?
The conversion of a sequence of genetic bases on messenger RNA into a sequence of amino acids.
How many strands does RNA have?
1
What base replaces thymine in RNA?
Uracil
What is adult screening?
Testing if they are carriers of disorders.
What is foetal screening?
Testing if a child has a particular genetic disorder.
What is translation?
The conversion of a sequence of genetic bases on messenger DNA into a sequence of amino acids
What is transcription?
The copying of a sequence of genetic bases from DNA into messenger RNA
