Topic 1A Flashcards
why was it assumed that protein was life’s “information molecule?”
it was highly diverse and carried out most of the essential activities of life whereas DNA was monotonous and featureless
while proteins do play a role in heredity, they act as….
supporters by looking after the DNA
what was the first experiment that demonstrated that molecules can transfer genetic information from one organism to another?
1928-Griffith (Streptococcus pneumoniae)-demonstrated that nonvirulent bacteria can be transformed into virulent by an unknown molecule when mixed with virulent cells, even if they’re killed
transformation
the conversion of cells from one state to another, as from nonvirulent to virulent, when DNA released to the environment by cell breakdown is taken up by recipient cells. In recombinant DNA technology, the introduction of recombinant DNA into a recipient cell
if a preparation is treated with enzymes that destroy any trace of protein or RNA, the transforming ability of the preparation….
remains
if a preparation is treated with enzymes that destroys DNA, the transforming ability of the preparation….
is lost
DNA serves as the genetic material because it is unique among cellular molecules in being able to….
specify exact copies of itself (replication)
replication
the process of copying DNA so genetic information can be passed from cell to cell or from an organism to its progeny
mutation
any heritable change in the genetic material, usually a change in the nucleotide sequence of a gene
DNA acts INDIRECTLY in the guiding the activities of a cell by….
specifying the sequence of amino acid subunits of which each protein is composed, this in turn determines the 3D structure of the protein, its chemical properties and biological activities
ribonucleic acid (RNA)
a molecule chemically related to DNA that is synthesized by proteins from a DNA template
central dogma of molecular biology
the theory that information transfer in a cell usually goes from DNA to RNA to protein
transcription (step 1)-same language of nucleic acids
the synthesis of RNA from a DNA template, produces a functional gene product
template
a strand of DNA or RNA whose sequence of nucleotides is used to synthesize a complementary strand
translation (step 2)-change of languages from nucleotides to amino acids
synthesis of a polypeptide chain corresponding to the coding sequence present in a molecule of messenger RNA
