Week 1 topics

Flashcards about biomolecules and gene structure.

What are the four major classes of biomolecules?

Proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids.

What are the monomer units of proteins?

Amino acids.

What are the monomer units of carbohydrates?

Simple sugars (glucose).

What are the monomer units of lipids?

Free fatty acids and acetyl groups.

What are the monomer units of nucleic acids?

Nucleotides (bases, purines, and pyrimidines).

What are some functions of proteins?

Structure, enzymes, signaling, and regulation.

What are some functions of carbohydrates?

Energy storage and cell membranes.

What are some functions of lipids?

Energy storage (receptors) and signals.

What are some functions of nucleic acids?

Information storage and information transfer.

What is the Central Dogma of Molecular Biology?

DNA -> RNA -> Protein.

What is metabolism?

The creation and use (energy production and/or cellular structure) of biomolecules.

What binds to the template strand of a gene?

RNA Polymerase.

What are the components of a gene?

Nucleosomes (Histones and DNA), promoter region, TATA box, general transcription factors, regulatory elements, and enhancer or silencer.