Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

PMP101 > Nucleic Acids & DNA Replication > Flashcards

Nucleic Acids & DNA Replication Flashcards

1
Q

What are the important factors/functions of nucleic acids ?

A

-They are carriers of genetic information
-They are made of nucleotides
-They are represented by DNA and RNA
-They are present in every type of cells

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is a nucleic acid?

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is a nucleotide?

A

-Monomers/ building blocks of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) both exist in all types of cells both carriers of genetic information

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What does DNA stand for ?

A

Deoxyribonucleic Acid

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What does RNA stand for ?

A

Ribonucleic Acid

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is the common structure of Nucleotides?

A

One to three phosphate groups which are linked by a phosphoester bond to a pentose (5-carbon atom) sugar, which in turn is linked to a nitrogenous base by a glycosidic bond

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is a phosphate group?

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is a phosphoester bond ?

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is a pentose sugar?

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is a nitrogenous base ?

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is a glycosidic bond?

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What pentose sugar is found in a RNA nucleotide ?

A

Ribose

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What pentose sugar is found in a DNA nucleotide?

A

Deoxyribose

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Add nucleotide diagrams

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What bases are present in DNA ?

A

Purines- Adenine and Guanine
Pyrimidines - Thimaine and Cytsine

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What bases are present in RNA ?

A

Purines-Adeneine and Guanine
Pyrimines- Uracil and Cytosine

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What are Pyrimidines ?

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What are Purines?

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Learn to read images of the nucleotides and be able to name them

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What does RNA have that DNA does not when trying to figure out what the nucleotide is from an image?

A

RNA- Ribose at 2’ an OH group is connected
DNA does not have this hydroxy group

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is the function of nucleotides?

A

Forming nucleic acid polymers (DNA and RNA)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is the function of nucleotides as a monomer?

A

-Biological energy carriers carrying high energy phosphate bonds (triphosphate nucleotides-ATP, GTP)
-To form coenzymes, essential for enzymatic activity
-Intracellular signalling molecules (Cyclic AMP or GTP)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is a triphosphate nucleotide?

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What does an Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) nucleotide look like?

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
What does a Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP) nucleotide look like?
26
How do nucleotides join together?
-Link covalently with each other by phosphodiester bonds and form a linear polynucleotide strand (polymers backbone) -The phosphodiester bond links the 5’ end of one sugar with the OH group of 3’ end of the next - Thus, nucleic acid strands have two ends. The directionality is 5’-3’ (e.g. 5’-ATGACGATC-3’) - In prokaryotes (e.g bacteria) the 5’ and 3’ ends of DNA strands are linked to give circular DNA. This also applies for plasmids and mitochondrial DNA (eukaryotes)
27
What bond links the 5' end of one sugar with the OH group of the 3' end of the next nucleotide?
Phosphodiester bond
28
Two antiparallel polynucleotide strands of DNA can be held together by what bond?
H-bonds between complementary base pairs of double stranded nucleic acids
29
How are the complementary base pairs matched together?
- Two antiparallel polynucleotide strands of DNA can be held together by H-bonds between complementary base pairs of double stranded nucleic acids 1) A pairs with T (or U in RNA) through (2 H-bonds) 2) C pairs with G through (3 H-bonds, more stability as it requires more energy to break these 3 H bonds)
30
Why is there always a purine joined to a pyrimidine?
31
What is the DNA double helix?
The 2 DNA strands orientation is antiparallel, chains run in the opposite direction -Its a 3D structure of DNA -
32
What are nitrogenous bases?
33
What is the sugar-phosphate backbone?
34
What is B form of DNA double helix?
-DNA in B form has helical grooves of different widths and accessibility Major-wider Minor-narrower - B-type duplex is not possible for RNA, RNA is usually single-stranded
35
DNA can undergo reversible denaturation and renaturation. What is DNA denaturation?
-DNA double strands can be separated into single strands through DNA DENATURATION, as H-bonds between complementary nucleotides can be broken, by increasing the temperature -Higher temps are required to denature G-C pairs than A-T pairs due to its 3 hydrogen bonds
36
DNA can undergo reversible denaturation and renaturation. What is DNA Renaturation ?
-When the conditions are reversed (DNA renaturation) -lowering the temperature - the hydrogen bonds between the complementary base pairs could be reformed to generate the double helix again.
37
What is the Mechanism for Heredity?
- Genome contains the genetic program that instructs a cell how to behave - DNA provides biological messages thanks to precise sequence of their nucleotides - The ‘alphabet’ of DNA is composed of 4-letter nucleotides (A, C, T, G)
38
What is a gene?
- Unit of heredity. Human genome has approx 25,000 genes(<1.5% of DNA) - Genes contain instructions for producing specific proteins (DNA-RNA-PROTEINS) - The nucleotides sequence of a gene encoding the amino acids sequence of a protein (genetic code)
39
What is a unit of heredity?
-A gene
40
Where is DNA found in eukaryotic cells?
-In the nucleus (nuclear DNA) -In the mitochondria (mitochondrial DNA)
41
What is Nuclear DNA. ?
- DNA molecules are packaged with histones into chromatin - Nucleosomes = chromatin units
42
What are Nucleosomes?
43
In dividing cells, chromatin is further condensed into what?
Chromosomes - (series of coils and loops) Formed in Prophase of mitosis (X shape chromosomes because of the duplicated DNA) - Number, size, shape of chromosomes is species-specific (Karyotype)
44
What is Chromatin?
45
What is a chromosome?
46
How many PAIRS of chromosomes do human cells have?
22 pairs of homologous autosomal chromosomes + 2 sex chromosomes
47
What are Gametes ? and how many chromosomes do they have?
-Sex cells (sperm and eggs) - Haploid cells -These have one set of 23 chromosomes -A set of 23 chromosomes is received from the mothers gamete and a set of 23 via fathers gamete
48
What are haploid cells ?
49
What are homologous cells?
50
What is a Karyotype?
51
What is DNA replication?
- DNA replication is the process by which DNA makes a copy of itself - Before a cell can divide (Mitosis), its DNA (chromosomes) needs to be copied/ to obtain two two genetically identical daughter cells - Occurs in the nucleus during Interphase (Phase S synthesis) - During cell division, each of the 46 chromosomes contains two identical duplicated DNA molecules (two sister chromatids joined at the centrometre) - DNA must rapidly and accurately copy(replicate) its nucleotide sequence in order to avoid mistakes, mutations
52
How does a cell divide?
-Through Mitosis
53
How does DNA make a copy of itself?
-Through the process of DNA replication
54
Where does DNA replication occur?
-In the nucleus during Interphase
55
What are sister chromatids?
56
What is the Centrometre?
57
DNA must rapidly and accurately copy(replicate) its nucleotide sequence in order to avoid mistakes, mutations such as what?
-Risk of diseases in human cells e.g cancer -Development of drug resistance in viruses or bacteria
58
What is the DNA replication -Semi conservative process?
It produces two copies of DNA, each that contains one original strand and the one new strand - DNA replication consists of 4 steps
59
How many steps does DNA replication consist of and what are they?
4 steps 1) Replication Fork Formation 2) Initiation 3) Polymerase elongation 4) Termination
60
What is Fork Formation?
- DNA replication starts at a sequence (rich in A-T pairs) called origins (thousands/genome) - Double helix is opened by initiator proteins - At each origin, helicases proceed bidirectionally to unwind/unzip the DNA double strands, creating two Y-shaped junctions called replication forks. - Bidirectional DNA replication (initial breakage of H bond, these attract helicases, in 2 point of the replication origin, move away in opposite directions)
61
What is Initiation in terms of DNA replication ?
- DNA polymerase needs a short RNA primer (produced by (enzyme, DNA primase) to start(free 3’ -OH end) - DNA polymerase allows the incorporation of nucleotides to the 3’ end of a growing DNA strand, using one parental DNA strand as a template - It requires nucleotide triphosphates (high-energy phosphate bonds fuel the reaction) - New DNA strands are synthesised from 5’ to 3’ (5 prime to 3 prime) - It forms a phosphodiester bond between the 3’ end of the growing DNA chain and the 5’ phosphate group of the incoming nucleotide (esterification)
62
What is the replication fork?
Asymmetrical
63
What are the 3 key players of DNA replication?
-DNA Polymerase -DNA Helicase -DNA Ligase
64
What is DNA polymerase?
-Group/complex of polymerases -Incorporates nucleotides to the growing DNA strands by forming phosphodiester bonds -One nucleotide at a time (triphosphate form) main function of DNA polymerase - adding nucleotides to the new DNA strands during replication
65
What is DNA Helicase?
-Unwinds parental double helix
66
What is DNA Ligase?
-Joins Okazaki fragments and seals other breaks in sugar-phosphate backbone
67
What is the main function of DNA polymerase?
Adding nucleotides to the new DNA strand during replication

PMP101 (23 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions