Organisation Flashcards
General structure of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell (6)
- Cell size (10-100μm vs 0.5-5μm)
- Nucleus (Present/Absent)
- Genetic material (Linear/Circular DNA)
- Ribosome (80S/70S)
- Organelles (Many/few)
- Cell walls (Cellulose/chitin/peptidoglycan/murein)
Structure of genome of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell (7)
- Size (Larger/smaller)
- Appearance (Multiple, linear/single, circular)
- Molecule (Double helix DNA)
- Association w proteins (Histones/DNA-binding protein)
- Level of DNA packing/coiling
- Location (Nucleus/Nucleoid region)
- Extrachromosomal DNA (Mitochondria/chloroplast or plasmids)
Organisation of genome of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell (4)
- Number of genes (25000/4500)
- Non-coding regions (Common/not common)
- Presence of operons (Few/many)
- Origin of replication (Many/one)
Non-coding regions (4)
Does not code for proteins or RNA products
- Introns
- Promoters
- Enhancers/silencers
- Telomere
- Centromere
- Introns structure
- Non-coding sequences within a gene
- Between exons (coding regions)
- Present in mRNA
- Only in eukaryotes
- Introns function
- No involvement in translation
- Splicing of pre-mRNA → introns excised, exons joined → mature mRNA
- Spliceosome (small nuclear RNA)-protein complex
- Precise points of excision
- Alternative RNA splicing of single pre-mRNA → produce different mature mRNA
- 1 gene can code for >1 type of polypeptide
Non-coding regulatory sequences (Control elements) (2)
- Proximal → promoter
2. Distal → enhancer/silencers
- Promoters structure
- Located just upstream of the transcription start site of a gene
- Critical elements:
1. TATA box at -25 sequence (i.e. located 25bp upstream of transcription start
2. CAAT and GC boxes → not critical in determining transcription frequency
- Promoters function
- Recognition and binding site for general transcription factors which then recruits RNA form transcription initiation complex which initiates transcription
- TATA box determines precise location of transcription start site
- Enhancers and silencers structure
Usually located far away from the promoter (usually much further upstream or downstream)
- Enhancers and silencers function
- Recognition and binding site for activators/repressors (specific transcription factors)
- Promotes/prevents assembly of TIC (with the help of DNA bending proteins that bend spacer DNA for enhancers)
- ↑/↓ frequency of transcription
Non-coding Repetitive DNA (2)
- Telomeres
2. Centromeres
- Telomeres structure
- found at both ends/terminals of linear, eukaryotic chromosomes
- Non-coding DNA made up of a series of tandem repeat sequences (a specific sequence of nucleotides occurring many times in a row), 5’ TTAGGG 3’ in human beings
- Single stranded region at their 3’ ends known as the 3’ overhang (due to a limitation of DNA polymerase, this region of DNA does not have a complementary strand)
- Telomeres function (3)
a) Ensure genes are not eroded and vital genetic info is not lost with each round of DNA replication due to end replication problem
b) Protect and stabilise terminal ends of chromosomes
c) Allow their own extension
a) Ensure genes are not eroded and vital genetic info is not lost with each round of DNA replication due to end replication problem
- DNA pol requires a free 3’OH of a pre-existing strand to add nucleotides
- Last RNA primer on the lagging strand with DNA cannot be replaced with DNA
- Creates 3’ overhang
- DNA molecule shortens with each round of replication
- Telomeres, which are non-coding sequences at the ends of linear chromosomes will be lost before any vital genetic information is
- Since they are non-coding, they can be lost without any deleterious effect