Heredity and DNA Flashcards
What is Heredity?
Heredity is the process of passing traits from parents to offspring.
What are the two types of traits?
Inherited:
DNA passed down
i.e. eye colour, height, hairline
Acquired:
It cannot be passed down
i.e. Dyed hair, Tattoos
What do all organisms use cell division for?
To Grow and Reproduce.
What are genetics?
The part of biology that involves the study of how genetic information is passed from one generation of organisms or cells to the next generation.
What is genetic information made of?
- Molecules of DNA
- Each DNA Molecule is made up of hundreds of thousands of chemical subunits that act as instructions for the cell
What does DNA stand for?
Deoxyribonucleic Acid
What is DNA?
DNA is the heredity material stored in humans and other organisms.
What is DNA made out of?
DNA is composed of two long polymer chains of repeating units called nucleotides.
What’s the structure of DNA?
DNA consists of:
2 strands of repeating DNA nucleotides that run in opposite directions (anti-parallel)
- The chemical backbone
is made of alternating
phosphate groups and
pentose sugars - The nitrogenous bases are attached to the backbone
What are nucleotides made of?
3 Parts:
1) Nitrogen base (C-N ring)
2) Pentose sugar (5C, cyclic)
- Ribose in RNA
- Deoxyribose in DNA
3) Phosphate (PO4) group
with a negative charge.
What are nitrogenous bases made of?
- Nitrogenous bases are made of A, T, G, C
- T (Thymine) and C (Cytosine) are pyrimidines.
- A (Adenine) and G (Guanine) are purines.
- Purines are complementary to pyrimidines, forming hydrogen bonds between each other
A <-> T / G <-> C
What is chromatin?
Chromatin is a combination of DNA and proteins.
What are chromosomes?
Chromosomes are:
- super-condensed chromatin
- found in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells.
- number, size & shape vary between organisms
How many chromosomes do humans have in each body?
46 chromosomes
