Genetics Flashcards
What does DNA stand for?
Deoxyribonucleic acid
Is DNA a molecule?
Yes
What is the “backbone” of DNA made of?
Sugar (deoxyribose) and acidic phosphate groups
What are the “rungs” of DNA made of?
Base pairs
What are the bases in DNA?
Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, Cytosine
What does Adenine pair with?
Thymine
What does Thymine pair with?
Adenine
What does Guanine pair with?
Cytosine
What does Cytosine pair with?
Guanine
Which part of DNA contains the information?
The base pairs, and their sequence
How many base pairs are in the human genome?
3 billion
How many chromosomes are contained in human cells?
46
How many chromosome pairs are contained in human cells?
23
How many bases are in the human genome?
6 billion
What is a gene?
A stretch of DNA which codes for something, usually by making a protein or group of proteins
True or false - the DNA of all living things uses the same nucleotides
True
In DNA terms, what is a mutation?
Any change in the nucleotide sequence of a chain of DNA (or RNA)
What would we call a change in the nucleotide sequence of a chain of DNA (or RNA)
A mutation
What is a chromosome made of?
A chain of DNA along with stabilising proteins
How does cell reproduction relate to the form of chromosomes?
Chromosomes are stored in the cell nucleus in loose noodle-like forms until the cell needs to reproduce at which time they compact into tight bundles (the common “H” or “X” like shape depicted).
True or false - each cell in your body contains all of your genetic code
True. Cells will however “turn off” all but the relevant gene required to perform their purpose.
True or false - half of your chromosome pairs come from your mother, and half from your father
False - one chromosome in each pair comes from your mother, the other from your father
True or false - within a chromosome pair, the chromosome from the mother will usually contain different genes to the chromosome from the father
False - the two chromosomes will usually contain the same genes, in the same sequence. However there will be base pair sequence variations within the genes.
