Nucleic acids and proteins Flashcards

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1
Q

What are Nucleic acids

A

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

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2
Q

two types of nucleic acids

A
  • Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
  • Ribonucleic acid (RNA)
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3
Q
  • Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
A

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

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4
Q
  • Ribonucleic acid (RNA)
A

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

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5
Q

polymer:

A

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

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6
Q

Monomer

A

A molecule that is the smallest building block of a polymer

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7
Q

What is nucleotide composed of

A
  • a phosphate group
  • a five carbon (pentose) sugar
    -a nitrogen-containing base
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8
Q

structure of DNA

A
  • 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
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9
Q

complementary pairing

A
  • Adenine & Thymine
  • Guanine & Cytosine
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10
Q

Function of DNA

A
  • set of codes that produce specific proteins
  • tightly packed to form chromosomes that then allows for genes to be encoded
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11
Q

RNA (Ribonucleic acid)

A
  • RNA is single-stranded
  • primarily involved in the synthesis of proteins
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12
Q

3 different types of RNA

A

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

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13
Q

mRNA

A

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

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14
Q

tRNA

A

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

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15
Q

rRNA

A

Serves as the main structural component of ribosomes within cells.

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16
Q

Structure of RNA

A
  • Single-stranded
  • Ribose sugar
  • Uracil instead of thymine
17
Q

Monomer for proteins

A

amino acid

18
Q

Polymer for proteins

A

Polypeptide chain

19
Q

Amino acid structure

A

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

20
Q

What is a polypeptide chain?

A

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

21
Q

Protein Structure

A

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

22
Q

Primary structure

A

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

23
Q

Secondary structure

A

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

24
Q

Tertiary structure

A

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)

25
Q

Quaternary structure

A

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

26
Q

Protein denaturation

A

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