Nucleic Acids

Question 1

What is DNA?

Answer 1

The genetic material of all living organisms

Some viruses use RNA, but viruses are not considered living

Question 2

What are nucleic acids?

Answer 2

Genetic material of the cell; composed of recurring monomeric units called nucleotides; two types: DNA and RNA

Question 3

What are the components of a nucleotide?

Answer 3

5-carbon pentose sugar, phosphate group (attached to the 5’– carbon atom), and nitrogenous base (attached to the 1’– carbon atom)

Question 4

What types of bonds are found in DNA?

Answer 4

Covalent bonds within nucleotides; hydrogen bonds between complementary nucleotides

Question 5

What is the function of a nucleic acid

Answer 5

1. Passes information between generations
2. Codes for protein production

Question 6

Sugar-phosphate backbone

Answer 6

It is antiparallel and shares electrons in a covalent bond between sugar and phosphate to provide strength to the structure

Question 7

What are Monomers?

Answer 7

1. Nucleotides
2. Amino Acids
3. Simple Sugars (monosaccharides)
4. Fatty acids

Question 8

What are Polymers?

Answer 8

1. Nucleic Acids
2. Proteins
3. Carbohydrates (Polysaccharides)
4. Lipids

Question 9

What is the RNA Condensation Reaction?

Answer 9

Process of changing from monomer to a polymer through dehydration (removal of H2O)

Question 10

What is Hydrolysis?

Answer 10

Process of changing a polymer to a monomer (addition of H2O)

Question 11

State the difference between RNA and DNA

Answer 11

DNA
- Double-stranded helix
- 2 sugar-phosphate backbones
- Deoxyribose nucleotides
- A, T, C, G

RNA
- Single-stranded
- 1 sugar-phosphate backbone
- Ribose nucleotides
- A, U, C, G

Question 12

How is DNA replication started?

Answer 12

One strand is used as a template for a new strand

Question 13

What is the evidence of common ancestry?

Answer 13

DNA is the genetic material for all living organisms, and the same genetic code has been passed down

Question 14

What is the most stable bonding between complementary bases? (HL)

Answer 14

Purine - Pyramidine

Question 15

What is a nucleosome? (HL)

Answer 15

A structural unit of DNA consisting of a molecule of DNA core of eight histone proteins (an octamer)

Question 16

What is the structure of a nucleosome? (HL)

Answer 16

1. DNA is wrapped around 8 core histone proteins
2. Negatively charged DNA associates with positively charged amino acids
3. Individual nucleosome are together linked by an additional histone protein (H1) attached to linker DNA

Question 17

What is the function of a nucleosome (HL)

Answer 17

It supercoils DNA to prevent damage and regulates the level of transcriptional activity

Question 18

What is the N-terminal tail? (HL)

Answer 18

It determines how tight the DNA is packaged

Question 19

What does the Hershey - Chase Experiment prove?

Answer 19

That DNA is the genetic material (not protein) through radio activating DNA and not protein

Question 20

Explain the Hershey - Chase Experiment

Answer 20

1. DNA had phosphorus radioactively labeled, and Protein had sulfur radioactively labeled
2. Radioactive sulfur was put into a centrifuge, but was a supernatant
   ; Radioactive phosphorus was put into a centrifuge and was a pellet
3. Pellets indicate that it has larger mass, thus DNA is the genetic material