Nucleic acids and proteins

Question 1

What are Nucleic acids

Answer 1

nucleic acids are large polymers composed from nucleotide monomers that store genetic information and help produce the proteins required for survival

Question 2

two types of nucleic acids

Answer 2

• Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
• Ribonucleic acid (RNA)

Question 3

• Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

Answer 3

a double-stranded nucleic acid chain made up of nucleotides.
DNA carries the instructions for proteins that are required for cell and organism survival

Question 4

• Ribonucleic acid (RNA)

Answer 4

a single stranded nucleic acid chain made up of nucleotides. Includes mRNA, rRNA, tRNA

Question 5

polymer:

Answer 5

A large molecule that is made up of small, repeated monomer subunits

Question 6

Monomer

Answer 6

A molecule that is the smallest building block of a polymer

Question 7

What is nucleotide composed of

Answer 7

• a phosphate group
• a five carbon (pentose) sugar
  -a nitrogen-containing base

Question 8

structure of DNA

Answer 8

• composed of two polynucleotide chains which run antiparallel to each other.
• Runs in a 5’ to a 3’ direction
• joined by a complementary pairing
• DNA consists of a phosphate group, deoxyribose sugar, and nitrogenous they form a double helix

Question 9

complementary pairing

Answer 9

• Adenine & Thymine
• Guanine & Cytosine

Question 10

Function of DNA

Answer 10

• set of codes that produce specific proteins
• tightly packed to form chromosomes that then allows for genes to be encoded

Question 11

RNA (Ribonucleic acid)

Answer 11

• RNA is single-stranded
• primarily involved in the synthesis of proteins

Question 12

3 different types of RNA

Answer 12

-mRNA / messenger RNA
-tRNA / transfer RNA
- rRNA / ribosomal RNA

Question 13

mRNA

Answer 13

carries genetic information from the nucleus to the ribosomes for protein synthesis

Question 14

tRNA

Answer 14

delivers specific amino acids to the ribosomes after recognising specific nucleotide sequences on tRNA

Question 15

rRNA

Answer 15

Serves as the main structural component of ribosomes within cells.

Question 16

Structure of RNA

Answer 16

• Single-stranded
• Ribose sugar
• Uracil instead of thymine

Question 17

Monomer for proteins

Answer 17

amino acid

Question 18

Polymer for proteins

Answer 18

Polypeptide chain

Question 19

Amino acid structure

Answer 19

r group is a variable
- the r group is different in each type of amino acid, giving different amino acid different properties

Question 20

What is a polypeptide chain?

Answer 20

formed when amino acids are linked together via peptide bonds to form long bonds

Question 21

Protein Structure

Answer 21

a protein’s shape is central to its function
- if the shape is altered then the protein may no longer be able to perform its function

4 levels of protein structure
- Primary
- Secondary
- Tertiary
- Quaternary

Question 22

Primary structure

Answer 22

sequence of a chain of amino acids, one singular polypeptide chain

Question 23

Secondary structure

Answer 23

results from interactions between nearby amino acids (forming hydrogen bonds)
Two common types of secondary structures
- Alpha helix
- beta pleated sheets

Question 24

Tertiary structure

Answer 24

3D folding structure of a protein that held together by hydrogen or ionic bonds. Gives the proteins its shape which is critical to its function
(eg enzymes)

Question 25

Quaternary structure

Answer 25

Two or more polypeptides interact to form a protein e.g haemoglobin

Question 26

Protein denaturation

Answer 26

the loss of a protein 3D structure - due to disruption of the tertiary structure - results in loss of function and is often irreversible