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Biology OCR > Nucleic Acids > Flashcards

Nucleic Acids Flashcards

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1
Q

What is adenosine triphosphate (ATP)

A

An activated nucleotide composed of adenine, a ribose sugar and three phosphate groups. Acts as the universal energy currency for cells.

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2
Q

What’s an anticodon

A

A sequence of three bases at the end of a tRNA molecule that determines the specific amino acid carried by the tRNA. Forms hydrogen bonds with the codon in mRNA during translation.

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3
Q

What’s the coding strand

A

The strand of DNA with the same base sequence as the mRNA (except T is replaced with U in mRNA)

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4
Q

What’s a codon

A

A sequence of three bases in mRNA that codes for one amino acid.

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5
Q

What are complimentary base pairs

A

Specific base pairing rules in DNA and RNA. A pairs with T (DNA) or U (RNA) forming two hydrogen bonds and C pairs with G forming three hydrogen bonds.

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6
Q

What is deoxyribonucleic acid

A

The molecule responsible for the storage of genetic information in a cell.

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7
Q

What’s DNA gyrase

A

Unwinds a specific section of the DNA molecule

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8
Q

What is DNA helicase

A

Unzips a specific section of the DNA molecule by breaking the hydrogen bonds between the two DNA strands.

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9
Q

What’s a DNA mutation

A

A change to the sequence of bases in DNA.

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10
Q

What’s a gene

A

A length of DNA that carries the code for the synthesis of one (or more) specific polypeptide chains or for other RNA molecules that regulate other genes.

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11
Q

What is genetic code

A

A sequence of three bases in DNA codes for a particular amino acid in a polypeptide chain

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12
Q

What is messenger RNA (mRNA)

A

A single-stranded polynucleotide formed as a result of the transcription of a gene from the template strand of the DNA. Carries the information coding for a polypeptide from the nucleus to the ribosomes in the cytoplasm.

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13
Q

What is a mutation

A

A change in the base sequence of DNA, or in the structure or number of chromosomes

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14
Q

What is a nucleotide

A

The monomer of nucleic acids consisting of a phosphate group, a pentose sugar and a nitrogen-containing organic base

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15
Q

What is a phosphodiester bond

A

Covalent bond joining the 3’ carbon atom of one nucleotide to the 5’ carbon of another.

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16
Q

What’s a polynucleotide

A

Large polymer molecule made of many nucleotide monomers joined by phosphodiester bonds.

17
Q

What’s a promoter

A

DNA sequence at the start of a gene, to which RNA polymerase binds to start transcription.

18
Q

What’s a purine

A

Nitrogenous base consisting of a double ring structure e.g. adenine and guanine.

19
Q

What’s a pyrimidine

A

Nitrogenous base with a single ring structure e.g. thymine, cytosine and uracil.

20
Q

What’s reverse transcriptase

A

An enzyme originally derived from retroviruses. This enzyme catalyses the synthesis of a DNA strand using an RNA molecule as a template.

21
Q

What’s ribonucleic acid (RNA)

A

Single-stranded polynucleotide that exists in three forms. Each form plays a part in the synthesis of proteins within cells

22
Q

What is ribosomal RNA (rRNA)

A

Types of RNA molecules found in both small and large subunits of ribosomes.

23
Q

What are ribosomes

A

Structures composed of two subunits, made from RNA and proteins, which are the site of protein synthesis

24
Q

What is RNA polymerase

A

Binds to a specific binding site on the DNA at the start of the gene.

25
Q

What is semi conservative replication

A

The replication of a DNA molecule where the two strands separate and each strand acts as a template for the synthesis of a new DNA strand according to the complementary base-pairing rules.
Two identical DNA molecules are produced consisting of one old strand and one newly synthesised strand.

26
Q

What’s a template strand

A

The strand of DNA that acts as the template for transcription and has a

complementary base sequence to both the mRNA and the DNA sense (or coding) strand

27
Q

What’s transcription

A

The process of formation of an mRNA copy of a section of the template strand of DNA that corresponds to a gene, catalysed by RNA polymerase

28
Q

What’s a transcription factor

A

Protein that binds to a specific DNA sequence to alter the expression of a gene.

29
Q

What’s transfer RNA (tRNA)

A

Single RNA-polynucleotide chain that carries a specific activated amino acid to the ribosomes during translation to be added to the growing polypeptide chain

30
Q

What’s translation

A

The production of a polypeptide chain at a ribosome using the sequence of codons in the mRNA to direct the order amino acids are joined together.

Biology OCR (12 decks)

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