DNA

• What shape do the two strands of DNA form?

  A double helix
• What is DNA made up of?

  Two strands wrapped around each other
• What is a nucleotide?

  A monomer that makes up DNA
• What are the three parts of a nucleotide?

  A phosphate, a sugar, and a base
• What are the four different bases in DNA?

  Adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine
• How do nucleotides combine to form a polymer?

  The phosphate of one nucleotide bonds to the sugar of the next nucleotide
• What holds the two strands of DNA together?

  The bases that pair up between the strands
• What is the sugar-phosphate backbone in DNA?

  A long chain formed by sugars and phosphates of nucleotides
• What is complementary base pairing?

  Only specific bases can pair with each other (A with T, C with G)
• If a DNA strand reads A G T G C T T A C, what is the complementary strand?

  T C A C G A A T G
• What does the term genetic code refer to?

  The sequence of bases in DNA
• What is a gene?

  A particular sequence of bases that codes for a protein
• What is a triplet in the context of DNA?

  A group of three bases that codes for a specific amino acid
• How does a cell read the DNA sequence to form a protein?

  By interpreting the sequence as a series of triplet codes
• What happens to the long chain of amino acids after they are formed?

  They fold up to form a protein
• Why do proteins have unique shapes?

  Because each type is made from a different sequence of amino acids
• What are the main uses of proteins in the body?

  • Enzymes: act as biological catalysts
  • Hormones: carry messages around the body
  • Structural proteins: add strength to cells and tissues
• What is the role of enzymes in the body?

  To speed up the rate of chemical reactions
• What do hormones do in the body?

  They carry messages around the body
• What is the function of structural proteins?

  To add strength to cells and tissues
• What is the process of protein synthesis from DNA?

  1. DNA sequence is read as triplet codes
  2. Amino acids are combined in the order specified by the triplets
  3. The chain of amino acids folds to form a protein