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Biology Y12 > Section 1:Nucleic Acids > Flashcards

Section 1:Nucleic Acids Flashcards

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1
Q

What does DNA stand for?

A

Deoxyribonucleic acid

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2
Q

What are the monomer units in DNA?

A

Nucleotides

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3
Q

What is the structure of DNA?

A
  • Two polynucleotide chains in an α-helix
  • Nucleotides:deoxyribose sugar,phosphate group and a nitrogen containing organic base
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4
Q

What organic bases can be found in DNA and what are the complementray pairs?

A
  • Adenine,thymine,guanine and cytosine
  • Adenine+Thymine
  • Guanine+Cytosine
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5
Q

How are nucleotide joined together?

A

Nucleotides are joined together in a condensation reaction and are held together by phosphodiester bonds

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6
Q

Where is a phosphodiester bond in a polynucleotide chain?

A

Between pentose sugar of one nucleotide and the phosphate group of another nucleotide

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7
Q

What bonds are formed between the two strands in DNA?

A

Hydrogen bonds between the organic bases

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8
Q

What does RNA stand for?

A

Ribonucleic acid

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9
Q

What’s the structure of RNA?

A
  • Single,relatively short polynucleotide chain
  • Nucleotides:ribose sugar,phosphate group and nitrogen containing organic base
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10
Q

What are the organic bases found in RNA and the complementary pairs?

A
  • Adenine,uracil,guanine and cytosine
  • Adenine+Uracil
  • Guanine+Cytosine
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11
Q

What are the three types of RNA and their roles?

A
  • mRNA~transfers genetic info from DNA to ribosomes
  • tRNA~directly involved in protein synthesis
  • rRNA~the ribosomes are made up of protein and RNA
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12
Q

What is the role of RNA?

A

To transfer genetic information from DNA to the ribosomes in order for the correct proteins to be produced

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13
Q

Why is RNA used to transfer genetic information instead of RNA?

A

DNA is a very large molecule meaning it can’t fit through the nuclear pores, but RNA is smaller so it can

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14
Q

Describe the differences between RNA and DNA

A
  • DNA has thymine, RNA has uracil
  • DNA is double strand, but RNA is single strand
  • DNA contains ribose sugar,deoxyribose sugar
  • DNA is a α-helix shape, RNA is a straight chain
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15
Q

What is meant by antiparallel in terms of DNA strands?

A

One strand has a base sequence that is complementary to the other strand, so the strands run in opposite directions

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16
Q

Two points

Why is DNA a stable molecule?

A
  • Strong phosphodiester bonds in sugar phosphate backbone~backbone the more chemically reactive bonds
  • Many hydrogen bonds linking the organic bases~collectively provides strength
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17
Q

Six points

How does DNA’s structure relate to its function?

A
  • Very stable(rarely mutates) via HB and double helix structure
  • Two strands joined by HB~easily seperated during replication and protein synthesis
  • Large molecules~carries lots of info
  • Coiling gives compact shape=lots of info stored in a small space
  • Sugar phosphate backbone=protect base pairs from chemical and physical forces
  • Base pairing=DNA can be replicated and transfered to mRNA
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18
Q

What are the main stages in cell divison?

A
  1. Nuclear divison~mitosis or meiosis
  2. Cytokinesis~whole cell divides
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19
Q

Why must DNA be replicated?

A

To ensure the daughter cells have the same genetic information as the parent cells to produce enzymes and other proteins

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20
Q

Why is required for DNA to be replicated?

A
  • DNA helicase
  • DNA polymerase
  • Energy
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21
Q

What is the role of DNA helicase?

A

Breaks hydrogen bonds linking the base pairs in two polynucleotide strands in DNA

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22
Q

What is the role of DNA polymerase?

A

Synthesis the new DNA strand by joining the two polynucleotide chains

23
Q

Five points

Describe the process semi-conservative DNA replication

A
  1. DNA helicase breaks HB linking base pairs in DNA
  2. Double helix unwinds and seperates into 2 strands
  3. Each exposed polynucleotide chain acts as a template
  4. Free nucleotides bind by specific base pairing to a ‘template’ strand
  5. This is done in a condensation reaction via DNA polymerase
24
Q

What does ATP stand for?

A

Adenosine triphosphate

25
Q

Describe the structure of ATP

A

Adenosine organic base,ribose sugar and three phosphate groups

26
Q

Why is ATP hydrolysed easily?

A

The bonds between the three phosphate groups are unstable~low activation energy

27
Q

How does ATP provide energy?

A

When the bonds between phosphate groups are broken, energy is released

28
Q

What enzyme catalyses the breakdown of ATP?

A

ATP hydrolase

29
Q

What is produced when ATP is broken down?

A

ADP + inorganic phospate + energy

30
Q

What enzyme catalyses the reaction between ADP and Pi?

A

ATP synthase

31
Q

What is phosphoylstion?

A

Adding an inorganic phosphate to ADP tp create ATP

32
Q

What are the three types of phosphoylation + description?

A
  • Photophosphotylation~in chlorophyll containing plants during photosynthesis
  • Oxidative phosphorylation~in plant and animal cells during respiration
  • Substrate-level phosphotylation~in plant and animal cells when phosphate groups are transfered from donor molecules to ATP
33
Q

Why is ATP a better ‘intermediate energy source’ than glucose?

A
  • Breakdown of ATP is a single reaction~makes energy instantly available
  • Releases a small,managable amount of energy~glucose releases more energy which is lost as heat
34
Q

Four points

What are the roles of ATP?

A
  • Metabolic processes~provides the energy needed to build up macromolecules from their basic units
  • Movement~provides the energy for muscle coordination
  • Active transport~provides the energy to change the shape of carrier proteins in plasma membranes
  • Activation of molecules~inorganic phosphate used to phosphorylate other molecules=lowering activation energy
35
Q

Why does water have no overall charge?

A
  • Oxygen has a slightly negative charge
  • Hydrogen has a slightly positive charge
36
Q

Is water a polar molecule?

A

Yes it is described as dipolar

37
Q

Three points

Describe the hydrogen bonding in water

A
  • Water forms a lattice as the molecules stick together
  • HB allow molecules to flow as a continuos streamm(mass flow)
  • Positive pole of one molecule is attracted to the negative pole of another~forms a HB
38
Q

Describe the specific heat capacity of water

A

High SPC~because water molecules stick together=buffers against sudden temp changes for aquatic organisms

39
Q

Describe the latent heat of vaporisation of water

A

*Large latent heat
Provides cooling effect through evaporation~due to hydrogen bonding between water molecules

40
Q

Describe the cohesion and surface tension of water

A

Large cohesion forces~due to HB allows water to be pulled up though a tube e.g. xylem
Surface tension~water molecules pulled back into water when water meets air

41
Q

Three points

Why is water important in metabolism of living organisms?

A
  • Used to breakdown molecules by hydrolysis
  • Produced in condensation reactions
  • Water is a raw material in photosynthesis and is produced in respiration
42
Q

Two points

Why water important as a solvent?

A
  • So metabolic reactions can occur
  • Easily dissolves other substances=allowing transport of substances e.g. gases,inorganic ions
43
Q

Why is it important that water can evaporate?

A

Cools organims and allows them to control their temperature

44
Q

Two points

Why is it important that water is transparent?

A
  • Allows aquatic plants to photosynthesis
  • Light rays can penetrate the jelly-like fluid in the eye so it can reach the retina
45
Q

Why is important that water provides support(not easily compressed)?

A
  • Hydrostatic skeleton of animals
  • Turgor pressure in plants
46
Q

Give three examples of inorganic ions

A
  1. Hydrogen(H+)
  2. Iron(Fe2+)
  3. Sodium(Na+)
47
Q

Give the role of three inorganic ions

A
  1. Hydrogen~determines pH and affects enzyme
  2. Iron~transport oxygen in haemoglobin
  3. Sodiun~transport of glucose and amino acids
48
Q

What is a solvent?

A

A liquid substance which can dissolve a wide range of molecules

49
Q

Define specific heat capacity

A

The amount of energy it requires to increase the temperature of 1kg of a substance by 1°C

50
Q

Define latent heat of vaporization

A

The amount of heat needed to turn a substance into a gas

51
Q

Define adhesion

A

The tendency of molecules to be attracted to other molecules of a different type

52
Q

Define cohesion

A

The tendency of molecules of a substance to attract one another

53
Q

Define viscosity

A

A fluid’s resistance to flow

Biology Y12 (10 decks)

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