AP Bio Unit 6 - Gene Expression and Regulation

6.1 - DNA + RNA Structure

• What is the source of heritable information found in cells?

  • DNA + RNA

    • DNA: Carries Genetic Instructions

    • RNA:

• What characteristics of DNA + RNA allow them both to be used as hereditary material?

  • Genetic information is stored in DNA

  • DNA makes up chromosomes

    • Passes from parent to daughter cells

  • Viruses are coded with RNA

• What differences between hereditary information is there in prokaryotes and eukaryotes?

6.2 - DNA Replication

• What does it mean for replication to be semiconservative?

• How does DNA’s directionality influence the replication process?

• What are the specific enzymes involved in replication?

6.3 - Transcription and RNA Processing

• What is meant by the flow of genetic info?

• What is transcription?

• What are the specific mechanisms involved in the transcription process?

• What are the different mechanisms involved in the transcription process?

  • Describe each of the functions

• What are the mRNA transcription modifications that occur in eukaryotic cells?

• What is alternative splicing?

• How does alternative splicing result in different proteins?

6.4 - Translation

• What is translation?

• Define translation steps

• What does translation look like in prokaryotes?

• How does the flow information accect translation in retroviruses?

• How does the process of translation serve as evidence for common ancestry?

• What are the main features in each step of translation?

• What are the primary molecules involves in translation?

6.5 - Regulation of Gene Expression

• What is gene expression?

• What type of interactions regulate gene expression?

• What is epigenetics?

• How is the phenotype of a cell or organism influenced by differential gene expression?

• How does regulatory sequence location relate to function?

• What is an Operon?

• Why is there a lac operon in an inducible operon?

6.6 - Gene Expression and Cell Specialization

• What are promoter sequences?

• How does the binding transcription factors to promoter regions affect gene expression/ the phenotype of an organism?

• What is the connection between the regulation of gene expression and phenotypic differences between cells and organisms?

• How do negative regulatory molecules inhibit gene expression by binding DNA and blocking transcription?

• What role to small RNA molecules have in regulating gene expression?

6.7 - Mutations

• What is a mutation?

• What are the different types of mutations?

• Describe the affect mutations have on nucleic acids, proteins, and phenotypes

• How does a DNA mutation occur?

• How do errors during mitosis/meiosis change the phenotype of a cell/organism?

• What determines whether a mutation is detrimental, beneficial, or neutral?

• How are changes in genotype subject to natural selection?

• What are horizontal acquisitions of genetic info?

• What reproductive processes increase genetic variance?