DNA, RNA and Protein Synthesis

Question 1

What is DNA?

Answer 1

Found inside the nucleus
Made of nucleotides
contains code for proteins an organism may produce

Question 2

What does DNA look like?

Answer 2

double helix, spiral staircase, 2 parallel strands of nucleotides

Question 3

What is a nucleotide?

Answer 3

basic building block of nucleic acids
SUGAR, BASE, and PHOSPHATE bases link together to connect DNA strands, each one has the same sugar and phosphate but different bases

Question 4

What are the four different bases?

Answer 4

Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, Cytosine (AT GC)

- AT Grand Central

Question 5

Why does DNA replicate and what are the steps for replication?

Answer 5

DNA must make an exact copy of itself in order to pass on its genetic code to the new cell that is produced
1. unzip 2. separate 3. picks up complementary bases 4. rewind
(unzip, untwist, floating bases fill in the spaces zip twist zip twist)

Question 6

RNA

Answer 6

made of nucleotides
different than DNA in 3 ways
1. contains RIBOSE sugar (NOT deoxyribose)
2. replaces thymine with URACIL
3. single stranded

Question 7

3 types of RNA

Answer 7

t-RNA, m-RNA and r-RNA

Question 8

Messenger RNA

Answer 8

carries copies of the instructions for assembling amino acids from DNA to the rest of the cell

Question 9

Ribosomal RNA

Answer 9

proteins are assembled on ribosomes which are made up of proteins as well as a for of RNA

Question 10

Transfer RNA

Answer 10

transfers each amino acid to the ribosome to ehelp asseble proteins

Question 11

Transcription

Answer 11

from DNA to RNA
m-RNA will go to the ribosomes where the protein will be made, each molecule is devided into smaller units called CODONS (words), each codon is a 3 base sequence (ex: ACG, CGU, GAG), then each codon is matched to a particular amino acid or is a start/end signal (CUU=Leucine)

Question 12

Translation

Answer 12

RNA to proteins
occurs on the ribosomes
amino acids are assembled into long chains to create proteins after they are brought to the ribosomes by t-RNA

Question 13

Using lots of details, explain PROTEIN SYNTHESIS

Answer 13

The DNA stays inside the nucleus when transcription occurs. During this process thymine is turned to uracil and the DNA is rewritten so the MRNA can read it. The mRNA then breaks away from the DNA and transports to the ribosome where every 3 base pairs forms a CODON coding or a specific amino acid. The tRNA is then sent togo find the amino acid and bring it back to the ribosome where the translation is taking place. As the tRNA brings the amino acids back to the ribosomes, they attach together and the process stops when an end code is reached. The chain of amino acids forms a PROTEIN.