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Molecular Tools for Marine Biology > Lecture 2 > Flashcards

Lecture 2 Flashcards

1
Q

What are nucleic acids made of?

A

Polymers made of nucleotides

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2
Q

What is the primary function of Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)?

A

Stores all the hereditary info within the cell and carries that from generation to generation

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3
Q

What percentage of DNA sequences are coding sequences?

A

1%

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4
Q

What are the building blocks of nucleic acids?

A

Nitrogen base, deoxyribose pentose sugar, glycosidic bond

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5
Q

What are the two types of nitrogenous bases in nucleic acids?

A
  • Purines * Pyrimidines
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6
Q

According to Chargaff’s rule, what is true about purines and pyrimidines?

A

Total purines = total pyrimidines

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7
Q

Which bases pair together in DNA?

A
  • G=C * A=T
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8
Q

What connects opposite bases within the DNA double helix?

A

Hydrogen bond

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9
Q

What is the structure of DNA?

A

Double-stranded helix

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10
Q

What is the significance of the 5’ and 3’ ends in DNA?

A

The first base is the 5’ end, the last base is the 3’ end

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11
Q

What is the role of DNA polymerase in DNA replication?

A

Catalyzes the addition of a deoxyribonucleotide to the 3ʹ end of a polynucleotide chain

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12
Q

What is the melting temperature (Tm) of DNA influenced by?

A

Nucleotide composition - those DNAs with a larger proportion of G–C base pairs exhibit a higher Tm
This is because three hydrogen bonds hold a G–C base pair together, compared with only two for the A–T base pair.

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13
Q

What is a replication fork?

A

Y-shaped structure where DNA replication occurs

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14
Q

What is the difference between the leading strand and the lagging strand in DNA replication?

A

Leading strand grows continuously; lagging strand is synthesized in chunks

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15
Q

What type of sugar is found in DNA?

A

Deoxyribose

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16
Q

What are in vitro studies?

A

Laboratory-based systems studying biological molecules outside their natural environment

17
Q

What is necessary for DNA analysis regarding homogenization techniques?

A

Techniques depend on different organisms - large organisms require breakdown of tissue

18
Q

What is the maximum absorbance wavelength for nucleic acids?

A

260 nm

19
Q

What does the Beer-Lambert law relate to?

A

Absorbance and concentration of a solution

20
Q

What is the equation for the Beer-Lambert law?

A

A = ε * c * l

21
Q

What causes DNA to migrate in electrophoresis?

A

Negative charge from the phosphate sugar backbone

22
Q

What is the first step in preparing agarose gel for electrophoresis?

A

Dissolve 0.5-2% agarose in buffer

23
Q

What is added to the gel preparation to visualize DNA?

A

Ethidium bromide (EtBr)

24
Q

What does a calibration ladder in gel electrophoresis indicate?

A

Presence of DNA in one line - it is a mixture of DNA, RNA, or protein fragments of known sizes. It serves as a reference standard to estimate the size of unknown biomolecules in a gel.

25
Q

What factors influence DNA migration in electrophoresis?

A
  • Size of DNA molecules * Agarose concentration * DNA conformation * Voltage applied
26
Q

What can cause bad DNA quality during analysis?

A
  • Contamination * Impurities * Degradation
27
Q

What do you need to purify when working with a slurry containing nucleic acids?

A

DNA

The slurry also contains other macromolecules and a lot of lipids.

28
Q

What is required to break down the lipids in a slurry during DNA purification?

A

Organic solvents

Lipids present in the slurry necessitate the use of organic solvents.

29
Q

What is a critical function of certain proteins in DNA replication?

A

To capture and correct mistakes

These proteins are essential for maintaining fidelity during replication.

30
Q

What method is easier for isolating DNA?

A

Precipitation

Precipitation is preferred over isolation techniques for DNA extraction.

31
Q

What do sequences demand regarding DNA quality?

A

Quality and amount of DNA

Higher quality and sufficient quantity of DNA are essential for successful sequencing.

Molecular Tools for Marine Biology (4 decks)

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