Exam 1 Flashcards
Lecture 1-7
what are the steps to convert DNA to protein?
DNA undergoes transcription where it is converted to pre-mRNA, RNA processing then converts the pre-mRNA into mRNA that is transported to the cytoplasm where it is translated into an amino acid chain
replication vs transcription vs translation vs RNA splicing
replication: DNA -> DNA
transcription: DNA -> RNA
translation: RNA -> protein
RNA splicing: pre-mRNA -> RNA
what are the 4 levels of DNA winding to form chromosomes?
- nucleosomes: DNA wrapped tightly around an octamer of histone proteins
- nucleosomes then wind into a 30-nm fiber
- the fiber anchors to the nuclear matrix to then form radial loop domains
- loops are wound into final chromosome form
how do histone proteins bind to DNA?
histone proteins contain many positively charged amino acids that bind electrostatically to the negatively charged phosphates on the DNA backbone, 2 of each of the 4 histones form the octamer and H1 histones bind nucleosomes together
nucleotide vs nucleoside
nucleotide: base + sugar + phosphate
(adenosine mono/di/triphosphate)
nucleoside: base + sugar
(adenosine/deoxyadenosine)
DNA vs RNA
DNA: contains deoxyribose (one OH, one H), thymine, double stranded, 5’ to 3’
RNA: contains ribose (two OH), uracil, single stranded, 5’ to 3’
what kind of bonds make up a DNA strand?
bases face inward and form hydrogen bonds with their complementary base, phosphates of one bind to the sugar of the other to form a phosphodiester bond as the backbone
how many hydrogen bonds form between each base pairing?
A-T forms 2 hydrogen bonds, G-C forms 3 hydrogen bonds
what is Chargaff’s rule?
adenine is similar to thymine and guanine is similar to cytosine, this is because A/G (purines) bind to T/C (pyrimidines) in order to ensure a consistent diameter of the helix
how does acetylation/methylation alter how active a DNA strand is?
acetylated histones have weaker interactions with the DNA, allowing for a higher rate of transcription to take place
what is the C-value paradox?
the idea that there is no correlation between genome size and organism complexity
where are the bacterial and eukaryotic chromosomes located in the cell?
bacterial: nucleoid
eukaryotic: nucleus
telomeres vs centromeres vs kinetochores
telomere: a region of repetitive DNA sequence at the end of chromosomes to keep them from shortening
centromeres: site of chromosome segregation during meiosis and mitosis
kinetochores: area that links centromere to spindle during meiosis and mitosis
euchromatin vs heterochromatin
euchromatin: less condensed region of chromosome, transcriptionally active
heterochromatin: tightly condensed region of chromosome, transcriptionally inactive
what is the function of the Shine-Delgarno sequence in prokaryotes?
it pairs with regions of rRNA to position the ribosome correctly to start translation, facilitates mRNA binding to ribosome
which type of bond is created by ribosomes?
peptide bonds
what are the four levels or proteins in structures?A
primary: an amino acid sequence
secondary: amino acid sequence folded into an a helix or B-sheet
tertiary: polypeptide chain with one or more secondary structures attached
quaternary: two or more polypeptides combined in a protein
what does alternative splicing allow eukaryotes to do?
produce more than one gene product from one gene
what does it mean for an amino acid to be degenerate?
there is more than one codon that specifies that single amino acid
what are ribosomes composed of?
rRNA subunits (large and small) and proteins