Microbial Genetics Flashcards
- basic unit of heredity
- segments of DNA (RNA for some
viruses) that code for functional
products (proteins, RNAs) - DNA sequences that are required to
produce a polypeptide chain
Gene
- regions of DNA that contain the actual
instructions for the sequence of amino
acids in a protein (coding regions) - stretches of DNA sequence that help
regulate expression of gene (noncoding
regions)
Polypeptide chain
macromolecule composed of repeating units called nucleotides
DNA
nitrogenous base + deoxyribose + phosphate group ( the 3 components)
Nucleotide
- string of nucleotides
joined together by
phosphodiester linkages - macromolecule
- deoxyribonucleoside 5-
monophosphate
Molecular Structure of DNA: Primary Structure
- three-dimensional
configuration of DNA - double helical structure
- two polynucleotide
strands wound around
each other
Molecular Structure of DNA: Secondary Structure
DNA Model: two long polynucleotide chains are coiled around a central
axis, forming a right-handed _____________
double helix
Two chains of DNA Model are _____________
antiparallel (C-5’-to-C-3’ orientation runs in opposite directions)
base of both chains are paired to one another as the result of the formation of hydrogen bonds
specificity and complementarity (A=T, C=G)
Molecular forces that hold two strands together:
▪ Hydrogen bond
▪ hydrophobic interactions between stacked base pairs
▪ found in cytoplasm
▪ circular chromosome
▪ single chromosome plus plasmid
▪ made up of only DNA
▪ copies its chromosomes and divides immediately
Prokaryotic Chromosome
▪ found in nucleus
▪ linear chromosome
▪ many chromosomes, usually 10-50 chromosomes in somatic cells
▪ made up of DNA, histone proteins
▪ copies its chromosome grows cell and then divides equally through mitosis
Eukaryotic Chromosome
Bacteria have a ___________________ consisting of a single circular molecule of DNA with associated proteins
single circular chromosome
The chromosome is _________________________ and attached at one or several points to the plasma membrane.
Looped and folded
The chromosome takes up only about 10% of the cell’s volume because the ________________
DNA is twisted, or supercoiled
Model of E. coli Chromosome
Folded = coiled
Nicked = single strand
Chromosome length of E.coli
~1 mm
individual unit of replication
replicon
where replication starts and continues until entire replicon has been replicated
origin of replication
loop where replication occurs
replication bubble
point of unwinding, where two single nucleotide
strands separate from the double-stranded DNA helix
replication fork
DNA Replication Takes Place in a
_________________ Manner
Semiconservative
❑ intragenic regions
❑ intervening
nucleotide
sequences that do
not directly code for
proteins and are
removed in pre-mRNA
Introns
portions of gene that codes for amino acids
Exons
Three staged of Prokaryotic Translation
Initiation, Elongation, Termination
binding of ribosome (containing rRNAs and proteins) and aminoacyl tRNA to mRNA.
Initiation
addition of one aa at a time to the growing polypeptide chain
Elongation
release of finished polypeptide from tRNA and dissociation of ribosome from mRNA
Termination
determines how the nucleotide sequence specifies the amino acid
sequence of a protein
Genetic code
three nucleotides encode each amino acid in a protein
triplet code
❑ basic unit of the genetic code
❑ set of bases that encode a single amino acid
❑ contains three nucleotides
codon
three stop codons:
UAA, UAG, UGA
is written in a linear form, using the ribonucleotide bases that compose mRNA molecules as “letters”
Genetic code
is derived from the complementary nucleotide bases in DNA.
Ribonucleotide sequence
prokaryotic mRNA can be _____________
polycistronic
can produce more than one protein
polycistronic