Key Area 1: Structure Of DNA

Question 1

What is DNA?

Answer 1

DNA encodes hereditary information in a chemical language. All cells store their genetic information in the form of DNA.

Question 2

What is the genotype of an individual determined by?

Answer 2

A sequence of bases

Question 3

What is he basic unit of a DNA molecule?

Answer 3

Nucleotide

Question 4

What does a nucleotide consist of?

Answer 4

Phosphate
Deoxyribose sugar
Base

Question 5

Indicate the 5’ and 3’ ends

Answer 5

5’ at phosphate

3’ at deoxyribose sugar

Question 6

How are nucleotides joined to form a strand?

Answer 6

A sugar-phosphate backbone

Question 7

Name the base pairings

Answer 7

Adenine and thymine

Guanine and cytosine

Question 8

What type of bond holds the strands together?

Answer 8

Weak hydrogen bonds between bases

Question 9

What term describes the structure of a DNA molecule?

Answer 9

A double stranded helix

Question 10

Describe anti-parallel when talking about the structure of a DNA molecule

Answer 10

The strands run in opposite directions