Biology and Lab Techniques Review

Flashcards based on lecture notes about elements of living things, macromolecules, chemical bonds, pH, solutions, nucleic acids, PCR, ELISA, and other lab techniques.

What are the three components of an atom?

Protons (positive charge), Neutrons (neutral), and Electrons (negative charge)

What are the most abundant atoms in living things (CHNOPS)?

Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur

What is the primary difference between covalent and non-covalent bonds?

Covalent bonds involve sharing of electron pairs and are strong, while non-covalent bonds are weaker attractions.

What is the importance of pH in a lab setting?

pH measures hydrogen ion concentration and is crucial for enzyme activity and chemical reactions.

What is the role of buffers in a lab setting?

Buffers stabilize pH by neutralizing added acids or bases.

Define solute and solvent.

Solute is the substance dissolved in a solution, while solvent is the substance that dissolves the solute.

Define molarity.

Molarity (M) is defined as moles of solute per liter of solution.

What are the monomers of carbohydrates, proteins, and nucleic acids?

Monosaccharides, amino acids, and nucleotides, respectively.

What are the main functions of carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids?

Carbohydrates provide energy and structure; proteins catalyze reactions and provide structure; nucleic acids store genetic information; lipids store energy, form membranes, and act as signaling molecules.

Describe the structure of DNA.

A double helix composed of a sugar-phosphate backbone with nitrogenous bases (A, T, C, G) attached, with A-T and G-C base pairing.

What is the central dogma of molecular biology?

DNA → RNA → Protein

What are the key differences between DNA and RNA?

DNA is double-stranded with deoxyribose and thymine, while RNA is single-stranded with ribose and uracil.

Where do transcription and translation occur?

Transcription occurs in the nucleus, and translation occurs in the cytoplasm at ribosomes.

What is the role of DNA polymerase, RNA polymerase, and restriction enzymes?

DNA polymerase synthesizes DNA, RNA polymerase synthesizes RNA, and restriction enzymes cut DNA at specific sequences.

What are the key components of cell theory?

All living organisms are composed of cells; the cell is the basic unit of life; all cells arise from pre-existing cells.

What are the key differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?

Prokaryotic cells lack a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, while eukaryotic cells have a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.

Name four important parts of a microscope and their functions.

Ocular lens (magnifies image), Objective lenses (provide magnification), Stage (holds slide), Light source (illuminates specimen)

What are Quality Control (QC), Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), and Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)?

QC ensures products meet standards, GMP ensures products are consistently produced and controlled, and GLP are standards for non-clinical lab studies.

Define accuracy and precision in the context of lab measurements.

Accuracy is the closeness of measurements to the true value, while precision is the consistency of repeated measurements.

What is the purpose of DNA ladders (size markers) in agarose gel electrophoresis?

They are used to validate results.

What are sticky ends and blunt ends in the context of restriction digestion?

Sticky ends are overhanging sequences after enzymatic cutting, while blunt ends are straight cuts without overhangs.

Why do transformed cells need to recover in nutrient broth before plating?

To repair membranes and begin expressing the plasmid-encoded resistance protein before being exposed to the antibiotic.

What is the purpose of the milk step (blocking step) in ELISA?

Binds to unoccupied sites in the well to prevent nonspecific binding of antibodies.

What components are needed for PCR?

Template DNA, primers, Taq DNA polymerase, dNTPs, buffer, and Mg²⁺ ions

What are the three steps of PCR?

Denaturation, annealing, and extension

What are the steps of ELISA?

Antigen binding, primary antibody binding, secondary antibody binding, substrate addition, and reading absorbance.