PreAP Central Dogma REVIEW

Front

What is the Central Dogma of Molecular Biology?

Back

The Central Dogma describes the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein, outlining the processes of transcription and translation.

Front

Define transcription in the context of the Central Dogma.

Back

Transcription is the process of synthesizing RNA from a DNA template, where the DNA sequence is copied into messenger RNA (mRNA).

Front

What is translation in the context of the Central Dogma?

Back

Translation is the process by which ribosomes synthesize proteins using the mRNA sequence as a template, translating codons into amino acids.

Front

What role do codons play in protein synthesis?

Back

Codons are sequences of three nucleotides in mRNA that specify a particular amino acid during protein synthesis.

Front

Explain the significance of the genetic code being universal.

Back

The universality of the genetic code means that the same codons specify the same amino acids across different organisms, allowing for genetic engineering and gene expression across species.

Front

What is a mutation, and how can it affect protein function?

Back

A mutation is a change in the DNA sequence that can alter the amino acid sequence of a protein, potentially affecting its structure and function.

Front

Define the term 'gene expression'.

Back

Gene expression is the process by which information from a gene is used to synthesize a functional gene product, typically a protein.

Front

What is the function of ribosomes in protein synthesis?

Back

Ribosomes are cellular structures that facilitate the translation of mRNA into proteins by providing a site for tRNA to bring amino acids.

Front

What is the difference between DNA and RNA?

Back

DNA is double-stranded and contains deoxyribose sugar, while RNA is single-stranded and contains ribose sugar.

Front

What is a frameshift mutation?

Back

A frameshift mutation occurs when nucleotides are inserted or deleted from the DNA sequence, altering the reading frame and potentially changing all subsequent amino acids.