genome organisation and features

Question 1

what is a genome?

Answer 1

the genetic material of an organism

Question 2

how many DNA bases are in the human genome?

Answer 2

3.2 billion

Question 3

what is the C-value?

Answer 3

the amount of DNA in 1 copy of a species chromosomes measured in pg
generally increases with increasing organism complexity

Question 4

what is the C-value paradox?

Answer 4

genome size increases with increasing complexity, but can exhibit enormous variability in genome size which is not explained by differences in gene number

Question 5

what is coding DNA?

Answer 5

sequences that code for proteins

Question 6

what are gene families?

Answer 6

set of genes that share important function
may share similar sequence
may work together in the same process

Question 7

what are pseudogenes?

Answer 7

non functional genomic regions
originated by duplication of ancestral genes
may play a role in gene regulation of their parent genes

Question 8

what are introns?

Answer 8

non coding regions of RNA transcript
functions and effects not fully understood
allows alternative splicing to generate multiple proteins from single gene

Question 9

what are the 3 types of satellite DNA?

Answer 9

microsatellites
minisatellites
macrosatellites

Question 10

how many base pair repeats do microsatellites consist of?

Answer 10

1-9

Question 11

how many base pair repeats do minisatellites consist of?

Answer 11

10-100

Question 12

how many base pair repeats do macrosatellites consist of?

Answer 12

more than 100

Question 13

what are telomeres?

Answer 13

microsatellites
DNA-protein structures that form T-loop
caps the end of the chromosomes to protect them against DNA repair enzymes
defects lead to genomic instability and promotes cancer and aging