Unit 4: DNA/RNA

5' to 3'

The direction that DNA and RNA are always synthesized and read in.

What is the linkage between nucleotides called?

phosphodiester linkage

What is the name of a DNA monomer?

nucleotide

Which nucleic acid polymer is double-stranded?

DNA

Which nucleic acid polymer is single-stranded?

RNA

What are the three components of a nucleotide?

sugar, phosphate, base

Which component(s) of the nucleotide make the "backbone" of the nucleic acid?

the sugar and the phosphate

Which component(s) of the nucleotide make the sequence of the nucleic acid?

the nitrogenous base

What reaction is used to add a new monomer to the nucleic acid polymer?

dehydration synthesis

Which carbon is the next nucleotide attached to?

3' carbon

What is the difference between the "backbones" of RNA and DNA?

an extra OH group on the 2' of RNA's sugar group

Which nitrogenous bases are purines?

Guanine (G) and Adenine (A)

Which nitrogenous bases are pyrimidines?

Cytosine (C), Thymine (T), and Uracil (U)

Which nitrogenous base pairs opposite of Adenine?

Thymine (in DNA) and Uracil (in RNA)

Which nitrogenous base pairs opposite of Thymine?

Adenine (A)

Which nitrogenous base pairs opposite of Uracil?

Adenine (A)

Which nitrogenous base pairs opposite of Cytosine?

Guanine (G)

Which nitrogenous base pairs opposite of Guanine?

Cytosine

Which nitrogenous bases are found in DNA?

ATCG

Which nitrogenous bases are found in RNA?

AUCG

What kind of connection joins two complementary nitrogenous bases together?

Hydrogen bonds

Where is DNA located in eukaryotes?

Nucleus

Where does transcription take place in eukaryotic cells?

Nucleus

Where does typically translation take place in eukaryotes?

in Ribosomes in the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)

What do we mean when we describe DNA as "anti-parallel"?

parallel strands, but oriented in opposite directions. Each side runs 5' to 3' in opposite directions.

Is DNA negatively or positively charged?

Negatively charged.

Which nucleic acid can catalyze chemical reactions?

RNA

Which nucleic acid can make proteins?

RNA

Which nucleic acid can regulate gene expression?

RNA

Name the two main functions of DNA:

1) serve as a template for mRNA
2) contract and relax

Which nucleic acid is more stable? Why is that important?

DNA!
It's important to preserve the original template we're copying from as perfectly as possible.

What is the Central Dogma?

DNA --> RNA --> Protein

What is transcription?

synthesis of an RNA molecule from a DNA template

What is translation?

The process of reading an mRNA molecule as a guide for synthesizing a protein.

Which nucleic acid has a lower cost of production? Name the two main reasons why.

RNA!
1) RNA is single-stranded, so it costs half as much to make versus double-stranded DNA
2) RNA uses Uracil instead of Thymine. Thymine is more energetically costly to produce.

Which nucleic acid is less stable? Describe three reasons why this is the case:

RNA!
1) The OH group on the 2' carbon in the RNA backbone can cause it to cleave itself.
2) RNA is single-stranded, so its base sequence is more exposed.
3) RNA uses Uracil instead of thymine, which can degrade into a cytosine and create errors.

How does RNA form three-dimensional structures?

it creates complementary base pairings with itself. These are self-complementary