DNA Structure and Function

These flashcards cover the key concepts from the lecture on DNA structure and related experiments.

What was the key conclusion of the Hershey and Chase experiment in 1952?

DNA is the genetic material.

What did Chargaff’s rules state about the relationships between the nitrogenous bases?

Amount of Adenine equals amount of Thymine and amount of Cytosine equals amount of Guanine.

What technique did Rosalind Franklin use to study the structure of DNA?

X-ray diffraction studies.

Who were the scientists that proposed the double helix structure of DNA?

James Watson and Francis Crick.

What are the components of a DNA nucleotide?

A 5-carbon sugar (deoxyribose), a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base (adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine).

What type of bond links adjacent nucleotides in a DNA strand?

Phosphodiester bond.

What structural feature of DNA results in its consistent diameter?

Complementary base pairing.

What is the orientation of the DNA strand's sugar-phosphate backbone?

Antiparallel.

What is the distance between consecutive base pairs in DNA?

0.34 nm.

What is the significance of the 5' to 3' orientation in DNA?

It indicates the directionality of the DNA strand.