9700 · 16.1
Passage of information from parents to offspring flashcards
Revision flashcards for Cambridge 9700 Passage of information from parents to offspring (syllabus 16.1). Flip, recall, then mark a real past-paper question.
Card
What are the three components of a DNA nucleotide?
A deoxyribose sugar, a phosphate group, and one of four nitrogenous bases (Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine, or Guanine).
Card
What is meant by 'semi-conservative replication'?
The process where each new DNA molecule produced consists of one original (parental) strand and one newly synthesised strand.
Card
What is the role of DNA polymerase?
It catalyses the formation of phosphodiester bonds between new nucleotides during DNA replication, synthesising the new strand in a 5' to 3' direction.
Card
What is the role of RNA polymerase?
It binds to a gene's promoter and synthesises a complementary mRNA molecule from the DNA template strand during transcription.
Card
What is a codon?
A sequence of three consecutive bases on an mRNA molecule that codes for a specific amino acid or a stop signal during translation.
Card
State the three main features of the genetic code.
It is degenerate (redundant), non-overlapping, and universal across almost all living organisms.
Card
What is the difference between an intron and an exon?
Introns are non-coding sequences within a eukaryotic gene that are removed from pre-mRNA during splicing. Exons are the coding sequences that are joined together to form the mature mRNA.
Card
What is the function of tRNA (transfer RNA)?
To carry a specific amino acid to the ribosome and match its three-base anticodon with the complementary codon on the mRNA molecule during translation.