Nucleic Acids Chromatin And Chromosomes Flashcards
types of DNA
(1) chromosomal DNA in nucleus (2) mitochondrial DNA (3) chloroplast DNA (4) bacterial DNA (chromosomes and plasmids) (5) viral DNA
messenger RNA
translated into polypeptides
ribosomal RNA
integral part of ribosome
transfer RNA
carry amino acids in for polypeptide synthesis
small nuclear RNAs
help process pre mRNAs into mRNAs; help process and assemble ribosomal RNAs
ribozymes
function like enzyme proteins (ex: cleave RNAs, assemble polymer, rRNA)
antisense RNAs
interfere w protein production ex: microRNAs (miRNA), small interfering RNAs (siRNAs); some enable protein production
piwi interacting RNAs
antisense RNA; suppress transcription of transposons in testes, interact with the piwi protein
CRISPR RNAs
help bacteria and archaea destroy invading viruses and plasmids; antisense RNA
long noncoding RNAs
some act as molecular decoys and bind up proteins that would otherwise destabilize chromosomes; others cause change in structure of chromosomes, inhibiting gene expression
molecule of inheritance must
contain info that determines all traits and functions of the organism; be stable in general but also have ability to change in some ways w/o causing harm to organism; be carried on chromosomes
chromosomal theory of inheritance (Sutton 1902)
organisms possessed matched pairs of maternal and paternal chromosomes that separated from each other during meiosis and constitute the physical basis of Mendelian law of heredity
Griffith
one bacterium can transmit its characteristics to another; mice infected with S strain always died even mix of R strain and heat killed S strain
Avery, MacLeod, McCarty (1944)
DNA, not RNA or protein, was transforming principle; transforming principle was heritable
Hershey and Chase (1952)
showed that bacteriophage injects its DNA, not protein, into its target bacteria; 2 sets of E. Coli: protein vs. nucleotide
double helix
Franklin and Wilkins showed DNA is helical and made of 2 parallel parts; helix contains 10 nucleotides per turn and has diameter of 20 angstroms
Chargaff’s rule
of A bases = T bases and C bases = G bases
Watson and Crick (1953)
two DNA strands lie in antiparallel arrangement; bonds between A-T bases and C-G bases hold the two strands of double helix together; concept of complementary bases immediately suggested a mechanism for DNA rep.
nucleoside
sugar + nitrogenous base
nucleotide
nucleoside + phosphate group
sugar
ribose (RNA) or deoxyribose (DNA)
DNA contains
ACGT
RNA contains
ACGU (single stranded)
Why RNA has uracil and DNA has thymine
uracil is E less expensive to produce than thymine = E saving; cytosine is easily converted to uracil (does not require enzyme) deamination replaces the NH2 amine group on cytosine w a c=o (carbonyl) group; over time many C to U changes cause problems w DNA not RNA
C to U mutations
disease causing mutation in DNA (template for replication for several generations of cell cycles); RNAs are short lived so there isn’t enough time for C to U to occur and disturb RNA function