Midterm Topics: Central Dogma of Biology

Question 1

What is the relationship between DNA, genes, chromosomes and genomes?

Answer 1

• gene: DNA that codes for a protein product (DNA that gets expressed)
• genome: all genetic information needed to make an organism (multicellular has genome in nucleus)
• chromosome: structure within nucleus that comprises chromatin, contains DNA

Question 2

What is the Central Dogma of Biology?

Answer 2

• Shows how we go from DNA to Protein
• DNA—1—->RNA—–2—->Protein
  1. transcription
  2. Translation

Question 3

What is the importance of CDoB?

Answer 3

• Central to understanding biology
• It is the theory we use to know that DNA had the blueprint instructions on life, describes how the instructions are used to make life

Question 4

What is the difference between genotype and phenotype?

Answer 4

genotype: genetic makeup; contains both visible and non-expressed alleles in an organism

phenotype: observable traits expressed

Question 5

What is inherited? What is selected for evolutionarily?

Answer 5

Inherited: hair color, eye color, genetic information

Evolutionarily: Changes in phenotype for survivability

Question 6

How does gel electrophoresis work? What information can we learn?

Answer 6

• Works by showing size and abundance of DNA or RNA
• Big pieces are slow which means they can’t travel far
• Smaller pieces are quicker which makes then travel far
• Brighter means theres more abundance
• lighter means there less abundance