Structure and Replication of DNA Flashcards
What is DNA
A nucleic acid and macromolecule. Made up of two polynucleotide chains.
What does a nucleotide consist of?
A 5-carbon sugar (deoxyribose), a nitrogen containing base and a phosphate group
What is a nucleoside?
A sugar and a base
Why are the bonds between bases H bonds
They are easy to break and allow flexibility to unravel and allow transcription
How many H bonds are there between C and G?
Three
How many H bonds between T and A?
2
What is a purine?
A base with two rings (adenine and guanine)
What is a pyrimidine?
A base containing one ring (thymine and cytosine)
Why is a purine bonded to a pyrimidine in both the base pairings?
Both A+T and G+C take up similar space inside the nucleus making it easier to package
What are the major and minor grooves important for?
Enzyme binding
What must you do when writing a sequence of DNA?
Identify the 5’ end
How does asexual reproduction occur in prokaryotes?
- The entire genome is on one circular chromosome
- The chromosome replicates once to produce two identical chromosomes
- The two identical daughter chromosomes move toward opposite ends of the cell
- When the cell divides each daughter chromosome ends up in each cell.
How does asexual reproduction occur in eukaryotes?
- DNA replication occurs during S phase
- Gene expression occurs during G1 and G2
- Nuclear division occurs during mitosis
- Cell division (cytokinesis) occurs at the end of mitosis
Why does no transcription occur during metaphase?
Chromsomes too compact and the major and minor grooves are unavailable for enzyme docking
What is the first enzyme in DNA replication and what is it’s role?
DNA helices unwinds the double stranded DNA