DNA Structure and Function Flashcards
Finish the sentence:
Genetic information must be stable for…
storage
Who isolated the first nucleic acid?
Friedrich Miescher
What is the genetic material called?
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
Who did the Streptococcus pneumoniae transformation experiments?
Avery, MacLeod and McCarty
Who did the bacteriophage experiment in 1953?
Hershey and Chase
What is a bacteriophage?
Protein coat and DNA which infects bacteria
What must genetic material be?
- stable over time
- replicate
- control expression of traits
- change in a controlled way
What shape is DNA?
A double helix of two strands which is a linear polymer made up of repeating units
What is nucleotide made out of?
sugar + base + phosphate
What is a nucleoside made out of?
sugar + base
Deoxyribose + adenine =
deoxy adenosine
Deoxyribose + guanine =
deoxy guanosine
Deoxyribose + cytosine =
deoxy cytidine
Deoxyribose + thymine =
deoxy thymidine
What direction does a DNA stage go in?
5’ to 3’
Are DNA stands parallel or antiparallel in double stranded DNA?
Antiparallel
How are the two DNA stands held together?
By hydrogen bonds between complementary base pairs
Finish the sentence:
A large base pairs with a…
small base
What base is consider small?
T/G/U
What base is concerned large?
A/C
What is the group name of T/G/U?
Pyrimidine
What is the group name of A/C?
Purine
How many hydrogen bonds are formed between A and T/U?
2
How many hydrogen bonds are form between G and C?
3
Finish the sentence:
Base pairs are…
Planar
Why does it take a lot of energy to separate the DNA strands?
Many DNA stands stacked up upon each other
The strand backbones are closer together on one side of the helix than on the other. What is the major grove?
Backbones are far apart
The strand backbones are closer together on one side of the helix than on the other. What is the minor groove?
Backbones are close together
Which way do the grooves twist?around the molecule on opposite sides.
Around the molecule on opposite sides.
Why does the structure of DNA provide the mechanism for heredity?
Genetic information is carried in the sequence of bases in DNA so can be passed on
Why is it DNA a digital code?
- Only four possible bases in DNA
- Easily stored and analysed by computers
