Biology Unit 4 - Chapter 10 Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What is transcription in prokaryotic cells?

Is initiated at a promoter and uses only one strand of DNA (the template strand) to synthesize a complementary RNA strand.

Which of the following statements about RNA polymerase is false?

It initiates transcription at a promoter.

It reads the DNA strand in a 5'-to-3' direction.

It synthesizes mRNA in a 3'-to-5' direction. (correct)

It uses the template strand of DNA.

Translation of messenger RNA into protein occurs in a ____ direction, and from the _ terminus to the ______ terminus.

5'-to-3'; N; C

How many different possible amino acids could be specified if codons were read two bases at a time instead of three?

16 Signup and view all the answers

Translate the following mRNA: 3'-GAUGGUUUUAAAGUA-5'.

NH2 met--lys--phe--trp--stop COOH Signup and view all the answers

What would happen if a mutation changed the second codon of the resulting mRNA from UGG to UAG?

Translation would stop at the second codon, and no functional protein would be made. Signup and view all the answers

What would the amino acid sequence be if the synthetic RNA 5'-AUAUAUAUAUAU-3' were added to the test tube for translation?

the 5' end Signup and view all the answers

Which part of the tRNA base-pairs with the codon in the mRNA?

The anticodon Signup and view all the answers

Peptidyl transferase is an?

Component of ribosomes. Signup and view all the answers

What is required for termination of translation?

A stop codon positioned at the A site of the ribosome, peptide transferase, and a release factor. Signup and view all the answers

If the DNA encoding a nuclear signal sequence were placed in the gene for a cytoplasmic protein, what would happen?

The protein would be directed to the nucleus. Signup and view all the answers

The central dogma of molecular biology states that ___ is transcribed into _, which is (are) translated into ____.

DNA; RNA; protein Signup and view all the answers

A gene product can be?

All of the above. Signup and view all the answers

What is the enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of RNA?

RNA polymerase Signup and view all the answers

What effect will a mutation have if a spliceosome cannot remove one of the introns in a gene?

Translation will continue, but a nonfunctional protein will be made. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Transcription in Prokaryotic Cells

Transcription begins at the promoter region of DNA.
Only one strand of DNA, known as the template strand, is used to synthesize RNA.

RNA Polymerase

RNA polymerase synthesizes mRNA in the 5'-to-3' direction.
It reads the DNA strand in the opposite direction, which is 3'-to-5'.

Translation Direction

Translation of mRNA into protein occurs in the 5'-to-3' direction.
The process moves from the N-terminus to the C-terminus of the protein.

Codon Reading

If codons were read in pairs of two bases instead of three, a total of 16 different amino acids could be specified.

mRNA Translation Example

Translating the mRNA sequence 3'-GAUGGUUUUAAAGUA-5' yields the amino acid sequence NH2 met--lys--phe--trp--stop COOH.

Mutation Impact

A mutation changing the second codon from UGG to UAG results in translation termination at that codon, halting protein production.

Synthetic RNA Experiment

The synthetic RNA sequence 5'-AUAUAUAUAUAU-3' signifies the start of the amino acid sequence at the 5' end.

tRNA Function

The anticodon present in tRNA is responsible for base-pairing with the corresponding codon in mRNA.

Peptidyl Transferase

Peptidyl transferase plays a critical role in peptide bond formation during translation.

Termination of Translation

Termination requires a stop codon at the A site of the ribosome, peptide transferase activity, and a release factor.

Nuclear Signal Sequence

If a nuclear signal sequence is incorporated into a gene for a cytoplasmic protein, the protein will be directed to the nucleus.

Central Dogma of Molecular Biology

The central dogma establishes the flow of genetic information: DNA is transcribed into RNA, which is then translated into protein.

Gene Products

A gene product can take various forms, including proteins and RNA molecules.

RNA Synthesis

The enzyme responsible for catalyzing RNA synthesis is RNA polymerase.

Spliceosome Mutation Effect

If a spliceosome fails to remove an intron from a gene, translation continues but results in a nonfunctional protein.

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Description

Test your knowledge on transcription and translation processes in prokaryotic cells with these flashcards. Each card includes key terms and definitions that are essential for understanding RNA synthesis and the role of RNA polymerase. Perfect for students studying molecular biology.