Pracical biological chemistry Flashcards
What percentage of the human genome encodes for protein-coding genes?
Less than 3%
This indicates that most of the human genome does not code for proteins.
What is the C-value paradox?
The observation that there is no correlation between genome size and organismal complexity
‘C-value’ is a measure for DNA content, and this paradox highlights the presence of non-coding DNA.
What are the two types of chromatin found in eukaryotic cells?
- Heterochromatin
- Euchromatin
Heterochromatin is densely packaged and mostly inactive, while euchromatin is less densely packaged and contains active genes.
What is the basic unit of chromatin?
Nucleosome
A nucleosome contains about 150 bp of DNA wrapped around a core of eight histones.
What is the size of the mitochondrial genome in tomato?
Approximately 400 kb
This is part of the evidence supporting the endosymbiotic theory.
What is euchromatin’s role in gene expression?
Contains active genes that are accessible to regulatory proteins and transcription machinery
This accessibility allows for transcription into mRNA.
What is the size of the chloroplast genome in tomato?
Approximately 150 kb
Like the mitochondrial genome, this size is indicative of its evolutionary history.
What role do chromatin remodeling enzymes play in eukaryotic cells?
They control the distribution of heterochromatin and euchromatin areas
This affects gene regulation and expression in different cell types.
True or False: More protein coding genes indicate more complexity in an organism.
False
Current understanding shows no correlation between genome size and organismal complexity.
What is the nuclear genome size of tomato?
900 million base pairs (900 Mb)
This genome is divided over 12 chromosomes.
What is agarose gel electrophoresis used for?
To separate and visualize DNA molecules based on their size
Agarose gel electrophoresis utilizes the migration of DNA through a gel matrix under an electric field to achieve separation.
How does agarose gel form?
By boiling a suspension of agarose and then cooling it down Agarose is a polysaccharide polymer derived from seaweed.
What determines how easily DNA fragments migrate through agarose gel?
The size of the DNA fragments
Smaller DNA fragments can migrate more easily than larger fragments.
What is the typical range of DNA fragment sizes that can be separated using agarose gel?
Between 50 bp and 20 kb
Very small fragments (less than 50 bp) or very large fragments (more than 20 kb) cannot be effectively separated on a standard agarose gel.
What effect does agarose concentration have on gel resolution?
Higher agarose concentration results in smaller pores, improving separation of small fragments
Conversely, lower agarose concentration creates larger pores suitable for larger DNA fragments.
What is the purpose of a loading buffer in agarose gel electrophoresis?
To ensure DNA stays in the slot and to visualize sample loading
It contains 50% glycerol to increase density and a dye to indicate migration distance.
Which fluorescent dye is commonly used to visualize DNA in gels?
Ethidium bromide
Ethidium bromide intercalates between DNA strands and fluoresces under UV light.
What is the emission wavelength of ethidium bromide when excited by UV light?
590 nm (red-orange color)
This property allows visualization of DNA bands in the gel.
What is a DNA size marker used for in gel electrophoresis?
To determine the size of DNA fragments in samples
DNA size markers contain known sizes of DNA to compare against.
How is DNA or RNA concentration measured?
Using a spectrophotometer at wavelengths of 260 nm and 280 nm
DNA and RNA absorb light at 260 nm, while proteins absorb mostly at 280 nm.
What is the Lambert-Beer law formula for calculating DNA concentration?
O.D. (A) = ε x c x L
In this formula, A = absorbance, L = light-path length, c = concentration, ε = molar extinction coefficient.
What is the extinction coefficient for double-stranded DNA?
0.020 per μg/ml-cm
This coefficient is used to calculate DNA concentration from optical density measurements.
What purity ratio is generally expected for DNA?
Above ~1.8 for DNA
A lower ratio indicates contamination by proteins.
What are restriction enzymes used for?
To digest (cut) DNA at specific sequences
They are essential for molecular biology and genetic modification.