DNA/RNA basics

Question 1

Central Dogma of molecular biology

Answer 1

DNA -> transcription -> mRNA -> translation -> protein

Question 2

What is a nucleotide made out of?

Answer 2

Base (A, G, T, C) + Deoxyribose sugar + phosphate group

Question 3

Directionality?

Answer 3

Convention is to read from 5’ -> 3’

Question 4

Differences between RNA and DNA

Answer 4

1) RNA is more reactive, more active 2)U replaces T 3)chemically, there is an OH group somewhere…

Question 5

RNA Polymerase Complex

Answer 5

about ten proteins working together to pull apart DNA strands and build RNA transcript

Question 6

What else helps RNA polymerase complex?

Answer 6

Transcriptional Activator proteins (which bind to enhancer sequences) +promoter regions + there can be many of these, the more the merrier

Question 7

Exons

Answer 7

The DNA/RNA sections that are useful for making stuff

Question 8

Introns

Answer 8

Sections of DNA/RNA that get spliced out

Question 9

Alternative Splicing

Answer 9

Sometimes different exons are included/left out… or arranged in different ways. This is functionally desirable.