Key Area 5: Structure of Genome

Question 1

What is a genome?

Answer 1

A genome of organism is it’s entire hereditary information encoded in it’s DNA.

Question 2

What is a gene?

Answer 2

A gene is a region of DNA that codes for a protein

Question 3

What is the function of these coding regions?

Answer 3

To make proteins

Question 4

What are the functions of non-coding regions?

Answer 4

• transcription factors regulate transcription of genes
• form RNA that is never translated e.g. rRNA, tRNA
• other areas do not have any known function at all