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Biology > DNA Genes and Chromosomes > Flashcards

DNA Genes and Chromosomes Flashcards

1
Q

What is the basic unit of heredity?

A

Gene

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2
Q

True or False: DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic Acid.

A

True

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3
Q

What are the four nucleotide bases found in DNA?

A

Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine, Guanine

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4
Q

Fill in the blank: The structure of DNA is often described as a __________.

A

Double helix

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5
Q

What type of bond holds the two strands of DNA together?

A

Hydrogen bonds

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6
Q

What is the function of DNA polymerase?

A

To synthesize new DNA strands during replication

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7
Q

What is a mutation?

A

A change in the nucleotide sequence of DNA

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8
Q

True or False: All mutations are harmful.

A

False

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9
Q

What is the purpose of the genetic code?

A

To specify the sequence of amino acids in proteins

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10
Q

What is the role of mRNA in protein synthesis?

A

To carry the genetic information from DNA to the ribosome

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11
Q

Fill in the blank: The process of copying DNA into RNA is called __________.

A

Transcription

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12
Q

What is the function of ribosomes?

A

To synthesize proteins by translating mRNA

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13
Q

What is the difference between DNA and RNA?

A

DNA contains deoxyribose sugar, while RNA contains ribose sugar.

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14
Q

What are chromatin and its role in the cell?

A

Chromatin is a complex of DNA and proteins that condenses to form chromosomes during cell division.

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15
Q

True or False: Genes can be located on different chromosomes.

A

True

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16
Q

What is the purpose of the cell cycle?

A

To regulate cell growth and division.

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17
Q

What is the role of tRNA during translation?

A

To bring amino acids to the ribosome and match them with the codons on mRNA.

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18
Q

Fill in the blank: The three-base sequence on mRNA that codes for an amino acid is called a __________.

A

Codon

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19
Q

What is an allele?

A

Different versions of a gene that can exist at the same locus.

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20
Q

What does homozygous mean?

A

Having two identical alleles for a particular gene.

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21
Q

What does heterozygous mean?

A

Having two different alleles for a particular gene.

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22
Q

True or False: The phenotype is the genetic makeup of an organism.

A

False

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23
Q

What is the function of the promoter region in a gene?

A

To provide a binding site for RNA polymerase to initiate transcription.

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24
Q

What is the role of introns in genes?

A

Introns are non-coding regions that are removed during RNA processing.

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25
Q

Fill in the blank: The process of translating mRNA into a protein is called __________.

A

Translation

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26
Q

What are the two main types of nucleic acids?

A

DNA and RNA

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27
Q

What is the significance of the 5’ and 3’ ends of a DNA strand?

A

They indicate the directionality of the DNA strand, which is crucial for replication and transcription.

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28
Q

True or False: DNA replication is a semi-conservative process.

A

True

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29
Q

What is the role of ligase in DNA replication?

A

To join Okazaki fragments on the lagging strand.

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30
Q

What is a chromatid?

A

One of the two identical halves of a replicated chromosome.

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31
Q

Fill in the blank: The __________ is the region of the chromosome where the two sister chromatids are joined.

A

Centromere

32
Q

What is a karyotype?

A

A visual representation of an individual’s chromosomes.

33
Q

True or False: Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes.

34
Q

What is a genetic disorder?

A

A disease or condition caused by an abnormality in an individual’s DNA.

35
Q

What is the difference between a somatic cell and a gamete?

A

Somatic cells are body cells, while gametes are reproductive cells.

36
Q

Fill in the blank: __________ are the structures that carry genetic information in the form of genes.

A

Chromosomes

37
Q

What is the role of histones in DNA packaging?

A

Histones are proteins that help package DNA into a compact, organized structure.

38
Q

True or False: Transcription occurs in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells.

39
Q

What is the function of the 5’ cap and poly-A tail in mRNA?

A

To protect mRNA from degradation and assist in translation initiation.

40
Q

What is gene expression?

A

The process by which information from a gene is used to synthesize a functional gene product, usually a protein.

41
Q

Fill in the blank: The __________ is a segment of DNA that includes the coding region and regulatory sequences.

42
Q

What is epigenetics?

A

The study of heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve changes to the underlying DNA sequence.

43
Q

True or False: All genes are expressed in every cell of an organism.

44
Q

What is the role of transcription factors?

A

To regulate the transcription of specific genes by binding to nearby DNA.

45
Q

Fill in the blank: The __________ is the complete set of genes or genetic material present in a cell or organism.

46
Q

What is a promoter?

A

A DNA sequence that initiates transcription of a particular gene.

47
Q

What is the significance of the genetic code being universal?

A

It means that the same codons specify the same amino acids across different organisms.

48
Q

True or False: DNA can be found in both the nucleus and mitochondria of eukaryotic cells.

49
Q

What is the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic DNA?

A

Prokaryotic DNA is circular and not contained in a nucleus, while eukaryotic DNA is linear and contained within a nucleus.

50
Q

Fill in the blank: __________ are segments of DNA that code for proteins.

51
Q

What is the purpose of DNA sequencing?

A

To determine the precise order of nucleotides in a DNA molecule.

52
Q

What is a plasmid?

A

A small circular DNA molecule found in bacteria that can replicate independently.

53
Q

True or False: All mutations result in a change in phenotype.

54
Q

What is gene therapy?

A

A technique that modifies a person’s genes to treat or prevent disease.

55
Q

Fill in the blank: __________ are the physical and functional units of heredity.

56
Q

What is the function of a spliceosome?

A

To remove introns from pre-mRNA during RNA processing.

57
Q

What is a codon?

A

A sequence of three nucleotides that corresponds to a specific amino acid.

58
Q

True or False: Genetic variation is important for evolution.

59
Q

What is a phenotype?

A

The observable physical or biochemical characteristics of an organism.

60
Q

What are homologous chromosomes?

A

Chromosomes that have the same sequence of genes and structure but may have different alleles.

61
Q

Fill in the blank: __________ is the process by which DNA is copied before cell division.

A

Replication

62
Q

What is the role of DNA ligase?

A

To join DNA strands together during replication and repair.

63
Q

True or False: All cells in the body contain the same DNA.

64
Q

What is a transposon?

A

A DNA sequence that can change its position within the genome.

65
Q

Fill in the blank: The __________ is the section of DNA that is transcribed into RNA.

A

Coding region

66
Q

What is a genetic marker?

A

A specific DNA sequence with a known location on a chromosome used to identify individuals.

67
Q

What is the central dogma of molecular biology?

A

DNA -> RNA -> Protein

68
Q

True or False: RNA can be double-stranded.

69
Q

What is meant by genetic recombination?

A

The process by which genetic material is physically mixed during meiosis, resulting in offspring with combinations of traits.

70
Q

Fill in the blank: __________ are sequences of DNA that regulate the expression of genes.

A

Regulatory elements

71
Q

What is a silent mutation?

A

A mutation that does not change the amino acid sequence of a protein.

72
Q

What is the purpose of a DNA probe?

A

To detect the presence of specific DNA sequences.

73
Q

True or False: All genes are expressed at all times.

74
Q

What is the role of the ribosome in translation?

A

To facilitate the binding of tRNA to mRNA and catalyze the formation of peptide bonds.

75
Q

Fill in the blank: The __________ is the part of the gene that is not expressed and is removed during RNA processing.

Biology (31 decks)

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