Molecular Biology of the Gene: DNA, RNA, and Protein Synthesis

These flashcards cover key concepts in the molecular biology of genes, including the roles of DNA and RNA, replication, and types of mutations.

In 1928, Frederick Griffith discovered that when he killed pathogenic bacteria and mixed them with living harmless bacteria, some living bacterial cells became __ due to the acquired ability from the dead bacteria.

pathogenic

Hershey and Chase proved that __, not proteins, carry the genetic material by showing that bacteriophages inject their DNA into host cells.

DNA

The full name for DNA is __ acid, indicating its presence in the nuclei of eukaryotic cells.

deoxyribonucleic

RNA is different from DNA in that it is __-stranded, uses the sugar ribose, and has uracil instead of thymine.

single

The structure of DNA was determined to be a __ based on the findings of Rosalind Franklin and the work of Watson and Crick.

double helix

During DNA replication, the new strand is built in the __ direction, starting with a 5’ nucleotide.

5’-3’

Transcription produces __ in the form of RNA by using the DNA as a template for synthesizing the RNA strand.

genetic messages

The process in which the genetic information written in codons is converted into amino acid sequences is called __.

translation

In eukaryotes, the initial RNA transcript undergoes processing, including RNA __ where introns are removed and exons are spliced together.

splicing

A __ mutation results in the substitution of one amino acid for another in a protein, potentially altering its functionality.

missense

When a mutation creates an early stop codon in a sequence, it is referred to as a __ mutation, resulting in a shortened polypeptide chain.

nonsense