OBJECTIVES
Chapter 10: Molecular Genetics
1. Define and be able to use the following terms in context to answer questions:
a. transcription
b. translation
c. triplet
d. codon
e. anticodon
f. ribosome
g. DNA polymerases
h. RNA polymerases
i. DNA- 3'-5'
j. RNA 5'-3'
k. frame reading
l. introns
m. exons
n. semi-conservative replication
o. template
p. Okazaki fragments
q. lead strand and lag strand
2. What is semi-conservative replication and how does the process occur? What are the steps in the process?
3. What is transcription and how does the process occur? What are the steps in the process?
4. Explain the process of translation. What are the steps in the process?
5. Complete worksheets, and online exercises, that demonstrate the processes of transcription and translation.
*Alternative Objective
1. RNA and DNA structure and function
2. How do the structures of nucleic acids relate to their functions of information storage and protein synthesis?
3. What are the similarities and differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes?
Gene regulation
4. What are some mechanisms by which gene expression is regulated in prokaryotes and eukaryotes?
Mutation
5. In what ways can genetic information be altered?
6. What are some effects of these alterations?
7. What is the relationship of the nitrogenous bases in DNA to each other in terms of the % composition?
8. What are Okazaki fragments and what is their function in the replication process?
9. What is the basic chemistry of the nucleic acids?
a. What bases do they contain?
b. Categorize the bases as purines or pyrimidines.
c. What types of bonds are holding the bases and the sides of the DNA and RNA molecules together?
d. What elements make up the DNA and RNA molecules?
e. What is the structure and function of a nucleotide?
f. What enzymes service the DNA (replication/transcription) and RNA (transcription/translation) molecules ?
10. How is the coded information organized grammatically and syntactically (direction of read, sequence, triplet, codon, anticodon)?
11. Who are the following individuals and what was their contribution to our knowledge of the DNA molecule?
a. Fred Griffith
b. Hershey and Chase
c. Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty
d. Chargaff
e. Meselson and Stahl
12. How are the designations of 5'-3' /3'-5' important in the operation of the nucleic acids?
13. What is the relationship of DNA, a gene, and a chromosome?
14. How do you decode DNA or mRNA. How is the code organized?
15. What are the differences and variations in the mRNA molecule in a prokaryotic cell and a eukaryotic cell (introns and exons)?
16. How does the process of transcription and translation (initiation-elongation-termination) work?
What is the structure and operation of a ribosome?
17. What is the function of reverse transcriptase in a retrovirus?
18. How bacteria gain antibiotic resistance? How do they inherit that resistance from one another?
19. How does the differentiation of cells occur? What appears to be the mechanism of differentiation?
20. What does the phrase, "the universal DNA code" mean?
21. What is the "central dogma" in molecular biology concerning the role of DNA?
Viral structure and replication
22. What is the structure of viruses?
23. What are the major steps in viral reproduction?
24. How do viruses transfer genetic material between cells?
Nucleic acid technology and applications
25. What are some current recombinant technologies?
26. What are some practical applications of nucleic acid technology?
27. What legal and ethical problems may arise from these applications?
