Midterm 2 Guide

Question 1

a. What is a promoter?

Answer 1

This is a region of DNA upstream of a gene that controls where transcription begins

Question 2

b. In eukaryotes, which RNA polymerase transcribes protein-coding genes?

Answer 2

RNA polymerase II

Question 3

c. In eukaryotes, are introns present in mature mRNAs?

Answer 3

No

Question 4

d. In eukaryotes, what is the process that allows a cell to produce many more proteins than the number of genes found in the genome?

Answer 4

Alternative splicing

Question 5

a. In eukaryotes, where does transcription occur?

Answer 5

In the nucleus

Question 6

b. In prokaryotes, where does translation occur?

Answer 6

In the cytoplasm

Question 7

c. What are the two features that protect eukaryotic mRNAs prior to translation?

Answer 7

5’ cap and poly-A tail

Question 8

d. What feature of bacterial mRNAs helps position the ribosome during translation initiation

Answer 8

Shine-Dalgarno sequence

Question 9

How do eukaryotic and prokaryotic chromosomes differ structurally? Relative to prokaryotes, what are two distinct features that eukaryotes have that enable replication and stability of chromosomes?

Answer 9

Eukaryotes have linear chromosomes, prokaryotes a circle. Eukaryotes have telomeres and multiple replication origins per chromosome.