General Review Flashcards
How is DNA read?
5’->3’
How is RNA different from DNA?
1) RNA is single stranded
2) Uracil instead of thymine
3) DNA is more stable because doesn’t have oxygen group (deoxy)
How many genes in each G-band?
~50 genes
Why no trisomy 22 if Ch22 is smaller than chromosome 21?
Ch 22 is gene rich, so no living trisomies despite being even smaller than Ch 21
Why is redundancy between mRNA codons and Amino Acids important?
Redundancy = Resilience b/c Mutation has a smaller effect -> more likely to be a silent mutation
BUT NOT ALWAYS -> because splice sites can be different
How to make cDNA?
take mRNA with 3’ poly A tail and add an oligo dT primer (12-20 thymine nucleotides that hybridize to poly-A tail) to prime or start cDNA synthesis. Then you introduce reverse transcriptase, which generates complementary DNA strand resulting in heterogenous mRNA/cDNA. The mRNA stand is broken down and DNA polymerase replaces it with DNA. Finally DNA ligase rejoins phosphodiester bonds to make the new strand connected. This results in doubt stranded cDNA.
Does cDNA contain introns?
No, only exons because it is generated form mRNA
2 main reasons for cDNA? ->
1) Transcriptomics ->convert mRNA to cDNA and this way indirectly measure how much mRNA there was (qPCR) or by microarray analysis.
2) gene cloning -> cDNA is inserted into a plasmid and produced by e. coli
What gene is mutated in sickle cell?
Beta-globing gene (A->T results in glutamic acid->valine)
How many rounds of cell replication and division in Mitosis vs Meiosis
1 of each in identical mother/daughter cells (diploid) vs 1 round of replication/recombination over and 2 rounds of division in gametes (haploid)
What is Interphase?
Resting phase between mitotic divisions of a cell, or between the first and second divisions of meiosis.
What phases constitute Interphase
G1, S, G2
What is G1 phase?
No DNA synthesis for hours, days, years. Cell functions normally and grows into mature cell
If a neuron or RBC stops dividing in G1 permanently, what is it called?
G0 (permanent)
S phase
DNA replication into sister chromatids, involves telomerase/telomeres
G2 Phase
organelles replicate to prepare for division
What happens in G2 to M-phase checkpoint?
check for errors in DNA replication (mutations)
Errors in mitosis lead to ?
apoptosis, cancer, somatic disease
How does meiosis generate diversity in life?
Through crossing over (recombination) and extra division -> random assortment of each type of chromosome
Do homologous chromosomes have the same alleles?
They have the same genes but not the same alleles
What happens if crossing over is misaligned?
duplications or deletions
What phase is Egg arrested in?
In prophase 1in early fetal life of female
When do later stages of meiosis take place?
During ovulation
How many oocytes produced by female in lifetime?
400 oocytes mature and are ovulated (33 years if 1/month)
When does meiosis happen in males
many times after puberty
How many sperm produced in male’s life?
1 trillion
Alternative Splicing
splicing process during gene expression that allows a single gene to code for multiple proteins
Are introns coding or non-coding?
Introns non-coding, exons exit the nucleus, therefore coding
Promoter
A promoter is a sequence of DNA needed to turn a gene on or off. The process of transcription is initiated at the promoter.
What is on the 3’ end?
OH group
What is on 5’ end?
Phosphate group
What is a TATA Box?
It is a part of the promotor region upstream of the gene that tells RNA polymerase where to bind
Upstream is towards
3’ end
Downstream is towards
5’ end