Nucleotides/nucleic Acids

Question 1

What are the 5 features of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)?

Answer 1

Hydrogen bonds- always
Bases- adenine thymine guanine and cysteine 
Strand- double stranded
Sugar- deoxyribose
Size- billions of bases but very thin

Question 2

What are the 5 features of RNA (ribonucleic acid)?

Answer 2

Hydrogen bonds- sometimes (can fold on itself)
Bases- Adenine uracil guanine cysteine
Strand- single stranded
Sugar- ribose sugar
Size- hundreds/thousands of bases

Question 3

What are the 3 types of RNA?

Answer 3

Messenger (mRNA)
Ribosomal (rRNA)
Transfer (tRNA)

Question 4

Describe ATP

Answer 4

1 adenosine (ribose sugar attached to an adenine)
3 phosphates attached to the pentose sugar

Question 5

Describe ADP

Answer 5

1 adenosine (ribose sugar attached to an adenine)
2 phosphates attached to the pentose sugar

Question 6

Describe AMP

Answer 6

1 adenosine (ribose sugar attached to an adenine)
1 phosphate attached to the pentose sugar

Question 7

6 stages of DNA replication
(Helicase)
(H bonds)
(Template)
(Polymerase, complementary)
(Phosphodiester) 
(Semi conservative)

Answer 7

Double helix untwisted because of helicase enzyme
DNA strands separate because H bonds have broken between bases
Both strands are a template
Nucleotides join onto the exposed bases forming complementary pairs (AT and CG) joined by H bonds
DNA polymerase joins nucleotides together with phosphodiester bonds forming the backbone
Semi conservative replication because each of the DNA molecules will contain 1 old strand and 1 new strand.

Question 8

What 4 things are included in the genetic code?

Answer 8

Triplet
Universal
Non overlapping
Degenerate

Question 9

What does triplet mean when talking about the genetic code?

Answer 9

3 bases are in the code that make up an amino acid

64 options 4X4X4 (if it was just 2 then there would only be 16 options and there’s 20 amino acids)

Question 10

What does universal mean when talking about the genetic code?

Answer 10

It is the same code in all organisms

Question 11

What does non overlapping mean when talking about the genetic code?

Answer 11

Each base is only used as part of one triplet
AUGCCCAGG
This would be AUG CCC AGG 
Not 
AUG UGC GCC CCC CCA CAG AGG

Question 12

What does degenerate mean when talking about the genetic code?

Answer 12

Lots of options for most amino acids (18/20)
Amino acids have several possible codes

Mutation- swap a base
If this happens you can still get the correct amino acid

Question 13

What are the 3 stages of protein synthesis?

Answer 13

Transcription
Splicing
Translation

Question 14

What are the repeat units that make up nucleic acids?

Answer 14

Nucleotides

Question 15

What are the 2 types of nucleic acids?

Answer 15

Ribonucleic acid (RNA)
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

Question 16

How do you extract DNA?

Answer 16

Sample is ground with a blender/mortar and pestle
Detergent is added
Protease is added
Ethanol is added

Question 17

Why do you do each step in extracting DNA?

Answer 17

Sample is ground with a blender/mortar and pestle - To break down cell walls
Detergent is added - To break down cell membranes
Protease is added - To break down proteins associated with the DNA
Ethanol is added - To precipitate the DNA

Question 18

What is a mutation?

Answer 18

The wrong base may be inserted during replications, these errors are random and spontaneous.

Question 19

What is the advantage to semi conservative replication?

Answer 19

Allows the code to be exactly copied over generations