Higher Human Biology Flashcards
Are somatic cells haploid or diploid?
Non-sex cells that have two sets of chromosomes, so somatic cells are diploid cells.
What is differentiation?
The process which results in cells becoming specialises (they have their own specific structure and function)
What do somatic cells do?
Divide by mitosis to form more somatic cells.
What are epithelial cells?
These cells cover the body surface and line body cavities like the bladder and windpipe etc.
What is a connective cell?
A connective cell includes bone, cartilage, muscle and nerve cells. These cells form tissues and the body organs are formed from a variety of these tissues.
What happens during cell division?
During cell division the nucleus of a somatic cell divides by mitosis to maintain the diploid chromosome number.
What do human diploid cells have?
Human diploid cells have 23 pairs of homologous chromosomes.
What are germline cells?
Germline cells are diploid cells that can divide to form gametes.
What can the nucleus of a germline cell divide by?
MITSOSIS - to produce more diploid germline cells.
Or
MEIOSIS - to produce haploid gametes.
What are the two different types of stem cells?
• Embryonic stem cells
• Adult (or tissue) stem cells
What does a multipotent and a pluripotent stem cell mean?
MULTIPOTENT- cells do growth and repair
PLURIPOTENT- can become any cell type
What is a stem cell?
Stem cells are relatively unspecialised cells that can continue to divide and can differentiate into specialised cells of one or more cell types.
What can embryonic stem cells do?
Embryonic stem cells can differentiate into any type of human cell and this because most of their genes are still switched on (or expressed).
What can adult stem cells do?
Adult stem cells replenish differentiated cells that need to be replaced and they can only produce a limited range of cell types.
What do adult stem cells differentiate into?
Different types of blood cells like red blood cells, platelets and lymphocytes.
What happens once a cell differentiates?
Once a fell differentiates, it can only express the genes that produce the proteins that in turn makes cells different.
what does stem cell research provide?
Stem dell research provides information on how cell processes such as cell growth, differentiation and gene regulation work and stem cells can also be used as model cells to see how diseases develop and for drug testing.
What are examples of therapeutic uses of stem cells?
Therapeutic uses of stem cells include:
• bone marrow transplants
• skin grafts (for burns)
• repair of damaged or diseased organs (or tissues).
What is the ethical issue with stem cell use?
Since one source of stem cells is embryonic tissue, their use can be controversial. The current Uk Law states that embryonic cells cannot be allowed to develop beyond 14 days ( the time an embryo would implant to the uterus).
What have ethical concerns of stem cell use led to?
Ethical concerns have led to regulations on the use of embryonic stem cells.
What happens to cancer cells?
Cancer cells do not respond to signals that regulate them which causes these cells to divide excessively to produce a mass of abnormal cells (a tumour).
What is a tumour?
A mass of abnormal cells.
What happens if cancer cells fail to attach to each other?
If cancer cells fail to attach to each other, they can spread throughout the body where they form secondary tumours.
What is DNA?
DNA is an example of a nucleic acid.
What are nucleic acids like DNA made from?
Nucleic acids like DNA are made from repeating units called nucleotides.
What makes the nucleotides different from one another?
It is only the bases which make one nucleotide different from another.
How many nucleotides are in the DNA?
Since there is only 4 different bases, there can only be four different nucleotides in DNA.
What do nucleotides join together to form?
Nucleotides join to form a sugar-phosphate backbone.
What are bases held together by?
The bases pair off and are joined by weak hydrogen bonds.
What does anti-parallel mean?
The two strands of DNA run in opposite directions which means they are anti-parallel.
What ways do the DNA strands run?
Deoxyribose is at 3’ end and phosphate is at the 5’ end of each strand. ( one strand runs in 3’ to 5’ direction and the other runs in 5’ to 3’ direction).
What type of DNA do chromosomes consist of?
Chromosomes consist of DNA that is tightly coiled around histone proteins.
Why is DNA tightly coiled around histone proteins?
This is so that all 2 metres of it can fit into the nucleus of a cell.
What is DNA replication?
Before cells divide, an exact copy of the DNA must be made and this process s called DNA replication.
Why is DNA replication important?
it ensures that each new cell receives a full set of chromosomes and therefore no genetic information will have been lost.
What are the enzymes involved in DNA replication?
The two enzymes involved in DNA replication are:
• DNA polymerase
• ligase
When does DNA replication begin?
DNA replication begins when DNA is unwound and unzipped from two single template strands.
What does DNA polymerase use to start DNA replication?
DNA polymerase needs a primer to start DNA replication.
What can DNA polymerase only add to DNA?
DNA polymerase can only add free complementary DNA nucleotides to the deoxyribose 3’ end to a DNA strand.
What does DNA polymerase only being able to add complementary nucleotides result in?
This results in one of the strands of DNA being repeated continuously.
What is the leading strand?
The strand of DNA which is being replicated continuously.
What happens to the lagging strand?
The leggings strand is replicated in fragments and these fragments are then joined together by the enzyme ligase.
What does ligase join?
Ligase joins replicated fragments form the lagging strand of DNA and ligase also joins single nucleotides together in the continuous leading strand.
What is mRNA?
mRNA is a messenger molecule which carries the genetic code from DNA in the nucleus to a ribosome.
What is rRNA?
rRNA is a ribosomal RNA that forms the ribosome along with proteins.
What is tRNA?
tRNA is transfer RNA and each tRNA carries a specific amino acid to a ribosome.
Where does transcription happen?
Nucleus
What are all three types of RNA made of?
Nucleotides
What is a nucleotide made of?
Phosphate - ribose sugar - base
What is the difference between DNA and mRNA?
• DNA has deoxyribose sugar and mRNA has ribose sugar
• DNA has base thymine and mRNA has base uracil
• DNA is double stranded and mRNA is single stranded
What does RNA polymerase do during transcription?
RNA polymerase moves along the DNA unwinding s section of the double helix and synthesises a primary transcript of mRNA by complementary base pairing.
What do genes have?
Genes have introns and exons
What are introns and exons?
Introns are the non coding region of a gene;
Exons are the coding region of the gene.
What is RNA splicing?
During transcription the introns in the primary transcript are removed and this process is called RNA splicing.
What happens to the exons after RNA splicing?
The exons are then joined together to form the mature transcript mRNA.
What makes transcription take place?
RNA polymerase.
What does mRNA hold?
mRNA holds the genetic code which provides the recipe to make a protein e.g. haemoglobin, insulin etc.
What do three bases in a row (codon) code for?
There bases in a row on the mRNA strand “code” for one specific amino acid.
What is a codon?
A codon is a triplet of bases on an mRNA strand.
What is the genetic code called?
The genetic code is called a triplet code.
Why are different mRNA molecules produced from the same primary transcript?
Different mRNA molecules are produced from the same primary transcript and this is due to the fact that during RNA splicing, exons are sometimes removed along with the introns next to them.
What is alternative RNA splicing?
alternative RNA splicing is when exons are removed along with introns next to them.
Where are introns always removed from?
All the introns are always removed from the primary RNA transcript.
What does alternative RNA splicing mean?
This means that the same primary mRNA transcript has the potential to produce several different mRNA molecules.
What does each mRNA molecule have?
Each mRNA molecule will have a different sequence of base triplets and each mRNA molecule will code for a different polypeptide/protein.
What can one gene code for?
One gene can code for several different proteins.
What does gene coding depend on?
This depends on which exons have been discarded during RNA splicing.
What does bae pairing in tRNA cause?
base pairing causes tRNA to fold
What does tRNA have at each end?
Af one end tRNA molecule is an anticodon and at the opposite end is an amino acid which the tRNA molecule is responsible for carrying to a ribosome .
What does an anticodon determine?
The anticodon determines the sequence of amino acid that each tRNA molecule will pick up and then carry to a ribosome.
What is mRNA translated into?
mRNA is translated into a polypeptide chain at a ribosome.
What must ribosome bind to?
Ribosome must bind to one end of the mRNA strand.
What is a start codon?
A start codon is the first three bases on the mRNA strand.
What is a stop codon?
The stop codon is when the final codon in the mRNA is reached and the ribosome releases the newly synthesised polypeptide chain.
What does translation require?
this Provences required energy which is provided by ATP
What does the sequence do codons determine?
The sequence of the codons on the mRNA strand will determine the sequence of the amino acids in the polypeptide that will be synthesised.
What are anticodons on the tRNA complementary to?
The anticodons on the tRNA are complementary to the mRNA strand.
What happens after a peptide bond is formed?
After a peptide bond has formed between two adjacent amino acids, the tRNA molecule is released from the amino acid.
Where does the tRNA leave the ribosome to do?
The tRNA molecule is released from the amino acid and it then leaves the ribosome to go and pick up another one of its specific amino acid present in the cytoplasm.
What happens after translation?
After translation, the structure of the protein is modified.
How is a protein modified?
This is done through the cutting and joining of polypeptide chains or by the addition of a carbohydrate or a phosphate group to the final protein molecule.
Where does translation happen?
Ribosome
What are the similarities of mRNA and tRNA?
Both tRNA and mRNA contain bases Adenine, Uracil, Guanine, Cytosine.
What are the differences between mRNA and tRNA?
• tRNA is folded and mRNA is not;
• tRNA has base pairing,mRNA doesnt;
• mRNA is single-stranded and tRNA is double stranded.
What is gene expression?
Whether a gene is “switched on” or “switched off”
What is gene expression controlled by?
Gene expression is controlled by regulating the processes of transcription and translation.
What is mRNA transcribed from?
mRNA is transcribed form DNA in the nucleus and then it is translated into a protein by ribosomes in the cytoplasm.
What is an organisms function determined by?
An organisms function is determine by the proteins produced as a result of genes being expressed (switched on).
How many genes are expressed in each cell?
Only a fraction of the genes in any one cell are actually expressed.
What are expressed genes influenced by?
The genes that are expressed are influenced by intra and extra-cellular environmental factors.