DNA Extractions, Structure, and Protein Synthesis

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts in DNA extractions, structure, protein synthesis, and related biological processes.

3 parts of a Nucleotide

nitrogen base, phosphate, and deoxyribose sugar.

4 Nitrogenous Bases

Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, and Thymine.

The sugar found in DNA.

Deoxyribose

The type of bond that holds the nitrogenous bases together in DNA.

Hydrogen Bonds

A protein that holds DNA together.

Histone

The process of copying DNA information into mRNA that occurs in the nucleus.

Transcription

A sequence of three RNA bases that corresponds to a specific amino acid.

Codon

RNA that delivers amino acids to the ribosome based on the mRNA codon.

tRNA

The mRNA sequence that signals the beginning of translation.

Start Codon

The mRNA sequence that signals the end of translation.

Stop Codon

The three bases on a tRNA molecule that match up with an mRNA codon.

Anticodon

Seaweed powder used to make the gel for DNA fingerprinting.

Agarose

Enzymes that cut DNA at specific sequences.

Restriction Enzymes

The movement of DNA through a gel due to electrical charge.

Electrophoresis

The enzyme that unzips the DNA during replication.

Helicase

The enzyme that adds complementary nucleotides to the growing DNA strand during replication.

DNA Polymerase

The enzyme that seals DNA fragments together on the new strands.

Ligase

Describe in detail how DNA was extracted from a cheek cell

Swish salt water in your mouth for 30 secs, spit into cup, pour into test tube containing 1 teaspoon of liquid detergent,  cap tube and gently rock it for 2 minutes, slowly and gently pour 1 teaspoon of chilled isopropyl alcohol into test tube, let stand for 1 minute, swirl a glass rod in the test tube to collect DNA.

How was the strawberry DNA extraction different from the cheek cell DNA extraction? Be specific.    

Strawberry instructions: Mash strawberry for 2 minutes, pour 2 tablespoons of detergent solution into bag, add 2-3 shakes of of meat tenderizer, mush for 1 minute, filter solution through coffee filter into a cup, pour liquid into a tube of cold Isopropyl alcohol until ½ full, sit for 2 minutes, swirl rod in tube to collect DNA.

• Strawberry uses meat tenderizer

• Strawberry had to filter solution

• Cheek cells stood for 1 min and Strawberry stood for 2

• Got more DNA from strawberry lab

• required mashing instead of swishing

how do introns and exons differ?

Introns are junk, exons are genes

order of protein synthesis

1. mRNA is transcribed from DNA in the cell’s nucleus

2. mRNA leaves the nucleus and enters the cytoplasm

3. the ribosome attaches to the start codon of the mRNA molecule

4.  tRNA carries the amino acid to the ribosome

5. ribosome encounters the stop codon and falls off the mRNA

6. completed protein is released and ready for use

Dna charge

negative

How is RNA different from DNA? List three differences. 

Single stranded, ribose sugar, uracil instead of thymine