Unit 1 - Let’s Achieve Flashcards
Somatic cells
A somatic cell is any cell in the body other than cells involved in reproduction.
Somatic stem cells divide by mitosis to form more somatic cells.
Germline cells
Germline cells are gametes (sperm and ova) and the stem cells that divide to form gametes.
Germline stem cells division
Germline stem cells divide by mitosis and meiosis.
Division by Mitosis produces more germline stem cells.
Division by Meiosis produces haploid gametes.
Germline stem cells - mitosis
The nucleus of a germline stem cell can divide by mitosis to maintains the diploid chromosome number.
Diploid cells
Diploid cells have twenty-three homologous chromosomes.
Germline stem cells - meiosis
The nucleus of a germline stem cell can divide by meiosis to produces haploid gametes.
It undergoes two divisions, firstly separating homologous chromosomes and secondly separating chromatids.
Haploid gametes
A haploid gamete contains twenty-three single chromosomes.
Cellular differentiation
Cellular differentiation is the process by which a cell expresses certain genes to produce proteins characteristic for that type of cell. This allows the cell to carry out specialised functions.
Embryonic stem cells
Cells in an early embryo can differentiate into all cell types that make up the organism.
All the genes in an embryonic stem cell can be switched on, so these types of cells can differentiate into any cell type and are said to be pluripotent.
Tissue stem cells
Tissue stem cells are involved in the growth, repair and renewal of cells found in a particular tissue.
Tissue stem cells are multipotent as they can differentiate into all the types of cell found in a particular tissue type.
E,g. Ref blood cells from bone marrow
Applications of stem cells - therapeutic
The therapeutic uses of stem cells involve the repair of damaged or diseased organs or tissues. Under the right conditions, in the laboratory, embryonic stem cells can self-renew.
Examples are the use in corneal repair and the regeneration of damaged skin.
Applications of stem cells - research
Stem cell research provides information on cell processes such as cell growth, differentiation and gene regulation.
Stem cells are used as model cells to study how diseases develop or being used in drug testing.
Applications of stem cells - ethical issues
Use of embryonic stem cells can offer effective treatments for disease and injury; however, it involves the destruction of embryos.
Cancer cells
Cancer cells divide excessively because they do not respond to regulatory signals. This results in a mass of abnormal cells called a tumour.
Secondary Tumor
Cells within the tumour may fail to attach to each other, spreading the body where they may form secondary tumours.
DNA
DNA is a double helix and consists of 2 long chains (a polymer) of subunits called nucleotides (monomers).
Nucleotides
A nucleotide consists of three main components:
Deoxyribose sugar
Phosphate
Nitrogenous base
The four nitrogenous bases are Adenine, Thymine, Guanine and Cytosine.
Nucleotides bonding
The phosphate group bonds to the 5’ (5 prime) carbon of the sugar. The 3’ carbon is exposed on the bottom of the pentagon.
Backbone of DNA
The components of a nucleotide that make up the backbone of DNA are the sugar-phosphate groups. The backbone is known as the sugar-phosphate backbone.
Bonding between bases
Weak Hydrogen bonds form between complementary base pairs
Antiparallel strands
DNA strands have the phosphate group exposed on the 5’ and the deoxyribose sugar exposed on the 3’.
One strand runs in a 5’ to 3’ direction, whilst the opposite strand runs in 3’ to 5’ direction. This is an antiparallel structure forming the double helix.
What forms the Genetic code
The sequence of bases on DNA forms the genetic code.
When does DNA replication occur
DNA replication occurs prior to cell division.
DNA requirements
DNA replication requires the use of ATP, free DNA nucleotides and other enzymes throughout the process.
What enzyme replicates DNA
DNA polymerase is the enzyme that replicates DNA.
What does DNA polymerase require to start
DNA polymerase requires a primer to start DNA replication.
Primer
A primer is a short strand of nucleotides which binds to the 3’ end of the template (parent/original) DNA strand. This allows DNA polymerase to add new nucleotides.
Process of DNA replication
DNA is unwound and hydrogen bonds between bases are broken – forming two template strands.
Primer attaches to a short sequence on the DNA allowing DNA polymerase to bind.
DNA polymerase will add nucleotides using the complementary base pairing rule to the deoxyribose (3’) end of the new strand which is forming.
Replication of leading strand of DNA
DNA polymerase works in a 5’ to 3’ direction. DNA polymerase can only add nucleotides to the 3’end of the growing strand. This means that one strand is replicated continuously, and we call this the leading strand.
Replication of lagging strand of DNA
Due to the antiparallel structure of DNA the fact that DNA polymerase can only add nucleotides onto the 3’end, the opposite strand has to be replicated in fragments. This is known as the lagging strand. This requires the use of many primers and the fragments produced are joined together by the enzyme ligase.
What does PCR amplify
The polymerase chain reaction amplifies DNA using complementary primers for specific target sequences.
What happens in PCR cycle
The polymerase chain reaction consists of repeated cycles of heating and cooling to amplify the target DNA
PCR stages
DNA is heated between 92°C and 98°C to break the hydrogen bonds between bases and separate the two strands.
The DNA is then cooled to between 50°C and 65°C to allow primers to bind to target sequences.
It is then heated to between 70°C and 80°C for heat tolerant DNA polymerase to replicate the region of DNA.
Primers
Primers are short strands of nucleotides which are complementary to specific target sequences at the two ends of the region of DNA to be amplified. The DNA to be amplified will be the sample DNA.
PCR practical applications
Examples of the practical applications of PCR are to help solve crimes, settle paternity suits and diagnose genetic disorders.
Gene expression
Gene expression involves the transcription and translation of DNA sequences. Only a fraction of genes in the cell are expressed.
RNA
RNA is a single stranded and is composed of RNA nucleotides.
RNA nucleotides
RNA nucleotides consist of a phosphate group, ribose sugar and one of four nitrogenous bases. Adenine, Uracil, Guanine and Cytosine.
3 types of RNA
mRNA
tRNA
rRNA
mRNA
mRNA carries a complimentary copy of the DNA code from the nucleus to the ribosome. mRNA is transcribed from DNA in the nucleus and translated into proteins in the cytoplasm.
Codon
Each triplet of bases on mRNA is known as a codon and codes for 1 specific amino acid.
tRNA & anticodons
Transfer RNA (tRNA) folds due to complementary base pairing.
tRNA has a triplet of bases exposed known as an anticodon at one end of the tRNA molecule.
At the other end of the tRNA molecule is the specific amino acid attachment site. The tRNA molecule carries its specific amino acid to the ribosome.
rRNA function
rRNA and proteins form the ribosome.
Transcription process / stages
The enzyme RNA polymerase moves along DNA, unwinding the double helix and breaking the hydrogen bonds between the bases thereby unzipping the double helix.
As RNA polymerase breaks the bonds, it synthesises a primary transcript of mRNA on the DNA template strand using free RNA nucleotides. These RNA nucleotides form hydrogen bonds with the exposed DNA bases by complementary base pairing.
Uracil is the complementary base pair to adenine.
A primary mRNA transcript is formed.
RNA splicing
During RNA splicing non-coding regions known as introns are removed from the primary transcript and the coding regions called exons remain and are spliced together.
The exons when spliced together form a mature (mRNA) transcript.
during the process of splicing the order of the exons remains unchanged.