lecture 6 Flashcards
Are introns really “junk” DNA?
No, we don’t really know too much what amount is junk DNA.
The Encyclopedia of DNA elements (ENCODE) Project has now determined that _____ (percent) of the human genome is functional. Of that percentage though, only _____ (percent) is defined as transcriptionally active, but serve no function (i.e. what they transcribe does not affect your body). Fill in the blanks.
80%, 62%
Which statement does not describe ENCODE’s definition of a functional element?
- DNA sequence results in protein production
- That can be transcribed
- Distinct and reproducible biochemical signature
What is the scientific consensus regarding ENCODE’s findings regarding “junk” DNA?
There is no consensus
According to the video Epigenome The Symphony in Your Cells, what is an epigenome?
The epigenome is a set of chemical modifications to DNA and its associated proteins that can turn genes on or off, without changing the underlying DNA sequence
According to the video Epigenome The Symphony in Your Cells, what are epigenomic changes?
Epigenomic changes are alterations to the chemical modifications of DNA and its associated proteins that can affect gene expression.
According to the video Epigenome The Symphony in Your Cells, what happens during methylation?
When a chemical gets added to the DNA and it Prime a gene is turned off another type of change has more to do with the arrangement of DNA
According to the video Epigenome The Symphony in Your Cells, when does methylation seem to occur more within human cells?
Older brains
What is the definition of bioinformatics?
Is the application of computer programming mathematics and modeling to the analysis of large sets of biological data
What can you do with the information from bioinformatics?
Looking at the structure and function of a protein
What equipment is needed to complete bioinformatics?
Mass spectroscopy and protein chips
What can you predict with the information from bioinformatics?
Looking at the structure and function of a protein
What findings were discovered, after completing the human genome project, regarding mammal genome size?
All mammals almost have the same number and size of genes
What was another big genetic surprise discovered after the completion of the human genome project?
There is a large number of unfamiliar protein-encoding genes (transcribable genes) that we don’t know what they are making
Some plants have many more genes than humans and mammals. Why?
Plants have multiple duplications
Many duplications (to make the genome longer) have arose during the evolution of plants. Why?
We don’t really know, but polyploidy is why we think so
Why do some animals, which we would deem “less-complex” contain more genes than ourselves?
Complexity and number of genes do not mean the complexity of species.
Humans, mice, chimps, and gorillas are all very genetically identical, so what makes us different?
The expression of the genes. Same instruction set but built differently
Humans with a single-point mutation in the transcription factor gene _______ have impaired speech and grammar but not impaired language comprehension. Fill in the blank.
FOXP2
Which animals contain the FOXP2 gene and what does this gene normally control (i.e. code for within your cells)?
Chimpanzees, humans, mice. Not just speech, it also controls the motor function in your brain to allow the complex coordination to create words
What is the difference between the FOXP2 gene for humans, mice and primates?
The FOXP2 proteins are only going to differ by three amino acids in mice and humans. Single amino acid difference between mice and primates. Humans and primates have 2 amino acid differences.
The FOXP2 mutation in humans allows for what to occur compared to other organisms?
If it mutates it doesn’t work at all. It allows our brain, our larynx, and mouth to coordinate.
According to the video FOXP2 Gene Linked to Language, what happened to the one family member when they had a FOXP2 mutation? What happened to a songbird when they had the same mutation?
- Had difficulty speaking, and have trouble making complex syllables
- Songbirds also have trouble
According to the video FOXP2 Gene Linked to Language, how did the FOXP2 mutation affect the song of the twin mice?
More simple songs.
