DNA & RNA (The code of life) (Genetics)

Question 1

What does DNA stand for? (And how do you remember it/what does this mean?)

Answer 1

Deoxyribonucleic acid

Deoxyribose = the type of sugar it is made out of
Nucleic acid = the biomolecule it is made out of

Question 2

What does RNA stand for? (And how do you remember it/what does this mean?)

Answer 2

Ribonucleic acid

Ribose = the type of sugar it is made out of
Nucleic acid = the biomolecule it is made out of

Question 3

What is DNA? (In general)

Answer 3

DNA = a molecule that stores and transmits genetic information (from parent to offspring)

found in the nucleus and is responsible for all growth and traits expressed by the organism

Question 4

What is the history of DNA? (1930s)

Answer 4

-> All DNA found in the nucleus, experimented on a single cell algae

-> when you cut off a an area that did not contain the nucleus, the plant grew back, but if u cut the nucleus off, no growth happens

–> confirmed that all DNA is located inside the nucleus

Question 5

Chemical composition of DNA

What are the 3 component’s of DNA?
What are the 4 bases (nucleotides) of DNA?
What is the key relationship between the bases? (+ complementary base pairing)

Answer 5

DNA is made up of
-> a 5 carbon sugar (the backbone)
-> a phosphate group (the backbone)
-> a nitrogenous base (nucleotides)

Nucleotides are repeating units/subunits of DNA, and there is 4

Adenine, Guanine, Thymine and Cytosine
–> the amount of adenine in a DNA strand is = to the amount of thymine in the DNA strand

-> The amount of Guanine in a DNA strand is equal to the amount of Cytosine in the strand

-> Thymine always bonds with Adenine and it is a 2 hydrogen bond
->Cytosine always bonds with Guanine and it is a 3 hydrogen bond

Question 6

What is the DNA structure shapes?
Which nucleotides are purine?
Which nucleotides are Pyrimidine?

Whats the difference between purine and pyrimidine?

Answer 6

DNA = A double helix (has 2 strands), the strands itself is called backbone (made from 5 carbon sugar and a phosphate, while the bases are all nitrogenous)

-> all nucleotides run in opposite directions

-> Adenine and Guanine are purine
->Thymine and cytosine are pyrimidines

Purines are double ring, and are more complex than pyrimidines (too wide)

Pyrimidines are single rings and less complex (too narrow)

Question 7

Whats the difference between DNA and RNA?

Answer 7

DNA = inside nucleus, sugar is deoxyribose, bases are ATGC, it is double stranded

RNA = can be outside and inside of nucleus, sugar is ribose, bases is AUGC, it is single stranded

Question 8

What is uracil?

Answer 8

Urcil is a base in RNA Only and it pairs with Adenine, it is a replacement for Thymine therefore it is pyrimidmine

Question 9

What is the relationship between traits, gene, chromosome, and dna?

Answer 9

traits (hair colour, skin) codes for DNA

DNA is inherrited, and cells cannot function without DNA (mostly found in body cells)

Compacted DNA is a chromosome
Subunits/segments of DNA is a gene (located on a chromosomes [locus])
Genes codes for protiens, which express traits

Question 10

Why are nucleotides important?

Answer 10

They code for the actual trait/gene, ATGC is the nucleic base for all organisms, but the amount and sequence vary from species to speices!