Central Dogma Review

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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.

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What is 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 a complementary RNA sequence.

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What is translation in the context of the Central Dogma?

Back

Translation is the process of synthesizing proteins from mRNA, where ribosomes read the mRNA sequence and assemble amino acids into a polypeptide chain.

Front

What is a codon?

Back

A codon is a sequence of three nucleotides in mRNA that specifies a particular amino acid or a stop signal during protein synthesis.

Front

What is the role of mRNA?

Back

mRNA (messenger RNA) carries the genetic information from DNA to the ribosome, where it serves as a template for protein synthesis.

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What is the role of tRNA?

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tRNA (transfer RNA) transports specific amino acids to the ribosome during translation, matching its anticodon with the corresponding codon on the mRNA.

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What is the significance of the start codon?

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The start codon (AUG) signals the beginning of translation and codes for the amino acid methionine, initiating protein synthesis.

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What is the significance of the stop codons?

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Stop codons (UAA, UAG, UGA) signal the termination of translation, indicating that the polypeptide chain is complete.

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How does RNA differ from DNA?

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

Front

What is the function of ribosomes in protein synthesis?

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Ribosomes are the cellular machinery that facilitate the translation of mRNA into proteins by linking amino acids together in the correct order.