DAT - Dental Admission Biology: Genetics and Heredity Flashcards
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DNA replication is called semi-conservative because each new double helix contains:
Answer: One parental strand and one new strand
Semi-conservative replication means each daughter DNA molecule retains one parental strand paired with one newly synthesized strand.
Which type of RNA carries the genetic information from the nucleus to the ribosome for translation?
Answer: mRNA
Messenger RNA (mRNA) carries the transcribed genetic code from the nucleus to the ribosome where it is translated into protein.
A point mutation that substitutes one nucleotide and causes a different amino acid to be incorporated into the protein is called a:
Answer: Missense mutation
A missense mutation changes one codon so that it codes for a different amino acid, potentially altering protein structure and function.
The TATA box is a promoter element that functions in:
Answer: Positioning RNA polymerase II for transcription initiation in eukaryotes
The TATA box is a conserved promoter element located ~25–30 bp upstream of the transcription start site that helps position RNA polymerase II.
Which enzyme is primarily responsible for synthesizing new DNA strands during prokaryotic replication?
Answer: DNA polymerase III
DNA polymerase III is the main replicative polymerase in prokaryotes, synthesizing new DNA strands in the 5' to 3' direction.
What is the role of transfer RNA (tRNA) during translation?
Answer: Delivers specific amino acids to the ribosome matching each codon
Each tRNA molecule carries a specific amino acid and uses its anticodon to match the corresponding mRNA codon at the ribosome.