Unit 1: Molecular Basis of Inheritance Flashcards
What is genetics?
The study of heredity and variation in cells of individuals and the population.
What is a gene?
The functional unit of heredity and variation is the focus of genetics.
What is molecular genetics?
The study of the structure and function of genes at the molecular level.
What does a gene do?
It is the DNA sequence that is involved in making RNA and then proteins.
What are alleles?
The variant forms of a gene which are caused by a difference in DNA sequence ie., variation in eye color or height.
What is a genotype?
The genes that are inherited by the organism.
What is a phenotype?
These are the visible traits that are the product of the genotype.
What is a genome?
This is the entire DNA sequence (ACGT) of the organism.
Where are genes found?
Genes are found on chromosomes and are parts of the genome that encode the RNA and the protein.
What is gene expression?
The turning on of the gene to produce RNA and protein.
How is RNA made? (Simplified)
The DNA’ component which is the gene is transcripted to form RNA which is then used to produce proteins via translation through the coding RNA - and this can only happen when the gene expression is turned on.
What is the coding RNA?
The coding RNA is the RNA molecule that can translate the RNA into proteins such as mRNA.
What are the noncoding RNAs?
The noncoding RNA are unable to translate the RNA molecule into proteins such as tRNA and rRNA.
What ultimately determines the phenotype of the cell?
The proteins as they are coded by the genetic material.
Why is it impossible to find someone that is an identical copy of you? (Unless you are an identical twin)
- ) Differentiation of alleles
2. ) Differential regulation of gene and protein expression
What can be gained or lost by DNA splicing?
Pros: Variation and health benefits for yourself and other
Cons: Ethical concerns such as attaining perfect beings and not giving a choice for the embryonic splicing
What was the overarching goal for Griffith’s experiment?
Find a substance that could genetically transform Streptococcus pneumonia.
What was the overarching goal for Avery, Macleod, and McCarthy’s experiment?
Identify DNA as the molecule that transforms S-strain pneumonia to the infective form.
What was the overarching goal for Hershey and Chases’ experiment?
Find the final evidence establishing DNA as the hereditary molecule.
What is the Smooth strain(S)?
This is the bacterium that is surrounded by polysaccharide capsules and the capsule acts as a protection for the bacterium against the immune system and allows the infection.
What is the Rough strain(R)?
This is the bacterium that lacks the capsule thus there is no protection against the immune system so it is killed.
What was the Transforming principle?
The interesting element of the experiment that Griffith conducted was that when the S-strain was heated and the R-strain were both added to a mouse the mouse died which was unexpected.
How was it proven that DNA is the genetic material that transforms bacteria?
The 3 candidates that scientists had in mind were RNA, DNA, and protein - one by one each one was removed, and the results were concluded the only time the mouse survived was when the DNA was destroyed by using DNAse which was when the bacterium did not transform thus it was concluded that DNA was the source of the transformation.
What is the life cycle of the bacteriophage (virus)?
1.) Infection
2.) Then the viral DNA forms a circle
3.) There are 2 options as to what happens next:
- The lytic cycle where the virus replicates and
attacks other cells
- The lysogeny cycle where the virus stays dormant
in the genome and remains asymptomatic until the
immune system is weakened
What are the 3 ways that proteins control all of our functions?
- ) Enzymes
- ) Structural proteins
- ) Signalling proteins
How did Hershey and Chase confirm that DNA is the hereditary material?
1.) The bacteriophage DNA and proteins were labeled
with radioactive isotopes 32^P and 35^S.
2.) All the infections of E.Coli with radioactive
bacteriophage.
3.) Separate attached bacteriophage and E.Coli with
a blender.
4.) Test the presence of 32^P (DNA) and 35^S (protein)
in detached bacteriophage E.COli cells and progeny
bacteriophage.
What are the components of DNA?
- 5-Carbon pentose sugar = deoxyribose
- Nitrogenous base
- Phosphate group
What is a ribose and deoxyribose?
Ribose is the sugar for and RNA molecule and deoxyribose is the sugar that is used for a DNA molecule.
What is the difference between a ribose and deoxyribose?
The DNA molecule has a hydrogen on the 2’-Carbon while ribose has a hydroxide on the 2’-Carbon.
What is a purine?
The double-ringed nitrogenous bases: adenine and guanine the pairing is AT and CG.
What is a pyrimidine?
The single-ringed nitrogenous bases: cytosine and thymine the pairing is AT and CG.
What is a nucleoside?
There is a deoxyribose sugar and a nitrogenous base.
What is a nucleotide?
There is a deoxyribose sugar, a nitrogenous base, and a phosphate group.
What is a phosphodiester bond?
The covalent bond that forms between the phosphate group and the 5’ - Carbon on the deoxyribose sugar and this alternating order forms the backbone of the DNA.
What is the charge on a DNA molecule?
Due to the negative charge of the phosphate, the DNA is a negative molecule.
What is Chargaff’s Rule?
The percentage of Adenine = Thymine in a DNA molecule and the percentage of Cytosine = Guanine in a DNA molecule.