The genetic code

• What is the abbreviation for Phenylalanine?


  Phe
• What is a codon?

  A sequence of three bases
• What is the genetic code?

  A secret language for building proteins
• What are the four base pairs that make up DNA?

  Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, Cytosine
• What role do ribosomes play in translation?

  They act as the kitchen for protein synthesis
• What are the main components of the genetic code?

  • DNA structure: double helix
  • Nucleotides: four bases (A, T, G, C)
  • Base pairing: A with T, G with C
  • Codons: sequences of three bases
  • Function: determines amino acids in protein synthesis
• What does it mean for codons to be degenerate?

  Different codons can code for the same amino acid
• How do codons function in protein synthesis?

  They specify which amino acids to add
• What are the base pairings between DNA and RNA?

  • Adenine (A) pairs with Adenine (A)
  • Thymine (T) pairs with Uracil (U)
  • Guanine (G) pairs with Guanine (G)
  • Cytosine (C) pairs with Cytosine (C)
• What is the analogy used to describe translation?

  • Turning a recipe into a cake
• What happens to the new mRNA after transcription?

  It travels to ribosomes for translation
• What are the main steps of transcription?

  1. Initiation: RNA polymerase attaches and unwinds DNA
  2. Elongation: RNA polymerase builds mRNA by matching bases
  3. Termination: RNA polymerase releases mRNA at stop signal
• How can you determine the molecular weight of a protein from its amino acid sequence?

  • Add up the molecular weights of each amino acid in the sequence
  • This gives the total molecular weight of the protein
• What is formed when amino acids are linked together during translation?

  • A polypeptide chain
  • It folds into a functional protein
• What are the four chemical components that make up DNA?

  • Adenine
  • Thymine
  • Guanine
  • Cytosine
• Why is transcription compared to photocopying a recipe?

  It copies genetic information for protein synthesis
• If the sequence of base pairs in a DNA strand is ATCGAT, what is the complementary sequence?


  TAGCTA
• How many amino acids can the codons code for?

  20 amino acids used in protein synthesis
• What is the tRNA anticodon for Glycine?

  CCG
• How many possible codons are there?

  64 possible codons
• What do transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules do?

  They carry amino acids to the ribosomes
• What is the role of tRNA in protein synthesis?

  Transport amino acids to ribosomes
• What base pairs are matched during transcription?

  A-U, T-A, G-C, C-G
• What does it mean that the genetic code is non-overlapping?

  Each codon is read independently, sequentially
• What is the purpose of the sugar phosphate backbone in DNA?

  It provides structural support for the DNA molecule
• What are the main structural components of a tRNA molecule?

  • Amino acid attachment site
  • Acceptor stem
  • T loop
  • Variable loop
  • Anticodon stem
  • Anticodon
  • Wobble position
• What is the process of translation in genetics?

  Using mRNA to build a protein
• How do codons and anticodons interact during translation?

  Codons on mRNA match with anticodons on tRNA
• How many different bases are in nucleotides?

  Four different bases
• How do stop codons signal the ribosome during protein synthesis?

  They indicate the end of the protein sequence
• Which bases pair specifically in DNA?

  Adenine with Thymine, Guanine with Cytosine
• What are codons?

  Three-letter sequences representing amino acids
• Why are start and stop codons essential for protein synthesis?

  They ensure proteins are synthesized correctly
• What structure does DNA consist of?

  Double helix
• What do the base pairs in DNA form?

  The "rungs" of the DNA ladder
• How does an inserted mutation change the DNA sequence?

  A new section of DNA is added to the sequence, increasing the length.
• How are the base pairs arranged in the DNA double helix?

  • Adenine pairs with Thymine
  • Guanine pairs with Cytosine
  • The base pairs are stacked between the sugar phosphate backbones
• What is the significance of peptide bonds in translation?

  They link amino acids to form a polypeptide chain
• What are the two strands of DNA made of?

  Chains of nucleotides joined by sugar-phosphate
• What occurs at the termination phase of transcription?

  RNA polymerase releases mRNA and DNA rewinds