Molecular Genetics-Unit Review

Front

What is complementary base pairing?

Back

Complementary base pairing is the principle that in DNA, adenine (A) pairs with thymine (T) and guanine (G) pairs with cytosine (C). In RNA, adenine pairs with uracil (U).

Front

What amino acid is coded by the RNA codon UUA?

Back

Leucine.

Front

What happens to mRNA after transcription?

Back

It enters the cytoplasm and moves toward ribosomes.

Front

How does an mRNA strand compare to a DNA strand?

Back

An mRNA strand is shorter and single stranded compared to a DNA strand.

Front

What amino acid does the codon GCA code for?

Back

Alanine (ala).

Front

What is the role of ribosomes in protein synthesis?

Back

Ribosomes are the cellular structures where translation occurs, synthesizing proteins by reading mRNA codons.

Front

Define transcription in molecular genetics.

Back

Transcription is the process of copying a segment of DNA into RNA, specifically mRNA, which carries the genetic information to the ribosome.

Front

What is the function of tRNA in protein synthesis?

Back

tRNA (transfer RNA) transports specific amino acids to the ribosome during translation, matching them to the mRNA codons.

Front

What is a codon?

Back

A codon is a sequence of three nucleotides in mRNA that specifies a particular amino acid.

Front

What is the difference between DNA and RNA?

Back

DNA is double-stranded and contains thymine, while RNA is single-stranded and contains uracil instead of thymine.