Empty Outline 10

Molecular Genetics

Use Chapters 16 and 17 as a Reference

Directions:

• Complete using your textbook to find answers to the following questions. Next week we will spend going over this information and answering any questions that come up. Good luck and have fun!

Outline Grading Criteria

• Outline shows a conscientious effort to be complete and explain the questions posed. Most answers are correct.
• Student shows depth of answers by explaining, defining, and giving examples where appropriate. If there is a sentence or less for each question, this grading criteria is not met.

Reference Chapter 16

1.Go to the students CD, chapter 16, activity 1 (The Hershey-Chase experiment). Explain the experiment and why it was important in the study of genetics.

2. What is transformation?

3. What major discovery did the transformation experiment lead us to?

4. Go to the 2^nd activity on the student CD (DNA and RNA structure) and after completing that activity answer this question. Make a diagram of a DNA molecule (include: nucleotides, draw three nucleotides per strand – any sequence is fine, and label where the covalent and hydrogen bonds are, and label the three parts of one of the nucleotides.)

2. Where are the covalent bonds in DNA found? Hydrogen?

3. Why are James Watson and Francis Crick, important in the field of molecular genetics?

4. What is a nucleotide?

5. What is a nitrogenous base?

6. What is a gene (as defined by molecular biologists)?

7. How and when during the cell cycle does DNA replication occur?

Go to the student CD, chapter 16 and look at exercises D,E, and F. They illustrate DNA replication (what you will now be answering questions on) very well – especially F.

8. Explain how DNA is replicated. Include the following: origin of replication, replication bubble, replication fork, helicase, single-strnd binding protein, DNA polymerase, primer, RNA, primase, leading strand, lagging strand (Okazaki fragments), and DNA ligase.

9. How does this process ensure that the 6 billion bases (in humans) is correct during/after replication? How many mistakes are usually made?

10. What is a telomere and why is it important?

11. What is the importance of telomerase?

12. Why is DNA replication called a semi-conservative process?

Reference Chapter 17:

Check out the student CD activities before your answer these questions or as a review.

14. Compare DNA and RNA in the following ways:

DNA RNA

Function in cell:

Number of strands:

Type of sugar:

Types of Nitrogenous

Bases present:

15. Explain what transcription is in your own words (like you were talking to someone who had never had science before and you really wanted them to understand why this is important).

16. Explain what RNA processing is – an overview.

17. Explain what translation is in your own words (like you were talking to someone who had never had science before and you really wanted them to understand why this is important).

18. How does RNA code for an amino acid? Explain how incorporating the fact that there are only 4 kinds of bases and 20 kinds of amino acids.

19. What are the three kinds of RNA involved in protein synthesis (transcription and translation)? Explain a bit about each kind.

20. What is the name of the process that produces the various types of RNA? Where does the process occur?

21. Looking at the synthesis of messenger RNA.....

a. What enzyme is needed for its creation?

b. Where on the DNA does this enzyme begin activity?

c. What is the enzyme’s direction of movement on the DNA molecule?

21. After processing of the pre-mRNA molecule to produce a functional mRNA, where does this newly created messenger RNA molecule go next? For what purpose?

22. Describe transcription by describing the events that take place in 1) initiation, 2) elongation and 3) termination. Include the following key terms: transcription factors, RNA polymerase, transcription initiation complex, TATA box, start point, promoter, termination signal.

23. What are exons and introns? 5’ cap? 3’ cap? And splicesosomes? What are their functions?

24. What are benefits to organisms for having introns?

25. Explain translation by describing the events that take place in 1) intiation, 2) elongation and 3) termination. Include the following key terms: mRNA, tRNA, codon, anticodon, protein, small ribosomal subunit, large ribosomal subunit, A site, and P site.