(Unit 1.5) The Genome

• What is the genome of an organism?

  It is its entire hereditary information encoded in the DNA.
• What does the genome contain?

  All the genetic instructions and information that make an organism unique.
• What are the two parts that make up the genome?

  Sequences that code for proteins (genes) and DNA sequences that do not code for proteins.
• What is the percentage of the eukaryotic genome that codes for proteins?

  Only a very small percentage of the entire genome.
• What is the role of coding sequences in the genome?

  They code for proteins.
• What are non-coding sequences responsible for?

  They can regulate transcription, be transcribed but not translated, or have no known function.
• How do non-coding sequences regulate transcription?

  By turning genes on and off.
• What can non-coding sequences be transcribed into?

  They can be transcribed into mRNA but not translated into proteins, such as tRNA and rRNA.
• What is one example of a non-coding RNA?

  tRNA or rRNA.
• What is a characteristic of some non-coding sequences?

  Some have no known function yet.
• What are the differences between coding and non-coding sequences in the genome?


  • Coding sequences (genes):
  • Code for proteins
  • Non-coding sequences:
  • Regulate transcription
  • Can be transcribed but not translated (e.g., tRNA, rRNA)
  • Some have no known function