DNA Structure and Function Quiz

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the molecule responsible for storing and transmitting genetic information in all living organisms.

Adenine (A) pairs with Thymine (T), and Guanine (G) pairs with Cytosine (C). This ensures that the two strands of DNA are complementary and can be used to replicate each other.

DNA consists of two long strands of nucleotides, which are twisted into a double helix. Each nucleotide is made up of a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

The three components of a DNA nucleotide are a deoxyribose sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

A purine is a double-ring nitrogenous base, such as adenine (A) or guanine (G). A pyrimidine is a single-ring nitrogenous base, such as cytosine (C) or thymine (T).

The process of DNA replication ensures that each new cell receives a complete copy of the organism's genetic information.

The nitrogenous base in a DNA nucleotide that is complementary to adenine.

The nitrogenous base in a DNA nucleotide that is complementary to guanine.

DNA polymerase is an enzyme that adds nucleotides to an exposed DNA template during DNA replication. It essentially builds a new complementary DNA strand using the existing strand as a guide.

DNA replication involves unwinding the double helix and then building two new complementary strands, using each original strand as a template. This results in two identical DNA molecules.

Catalyzed means to speed up a reaction. Enzymes often catalyze biological reactions by lowering the activation energy required for the reaction to occur.

RNA is single-stranded, while DNA is double-stranded. RNA contains the sugar ribose, whereas DNA contains deoxyribose. RNA uses uracil as a base, while DNA uses thymine.

A set of three consecutive nucleotides within a messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule that specifies a particular amino acid during protein synthesis.

The human genome is the complete set of genetic instructions in a human. It consists of three billion base pairs of DNA organized into 23 pairs of chromosomes. These chromosomes contain approximately 30,000 genes that encode for proteins and other molecules.

During translation, the amino acid attached to a transfer RNA (tRNA) molecule detaches from the tRNA and attaches to the growing polypeptide chain when the tRNA's anticodon matches the mRNA codon.

The process by which genetic material (usually DNA) from one organism is transferred to another, resulting in the recipient organism acquiring new traits or characteristics.

Oswald Avery's experiments with Streptococcus pneumoniae demonstrated that DNA is the genetic material. His experiment showed that cells lacking DNA could not transform harmless R cells into virulent S cells. This finding proved that DNA, not protein or RNA, is the substance responsible for genetic inheritance.

This statement is false. Organisms have a unique combination of characteristics encoded in molecules of deoxyribonucleic acid, not ribonucleic acid. DNA is the genetic material, and RNA is involved in protein synthesis.

The primary function of DNA is to store and transmit genetic information from one generation to the next. This information is used to build and maintain an organism's structure and function.

Nucleotides are the monomeric units of DNA and RNA. Each nucleotide consists of three components: a sugar (deoxyribose in DNA or ribose in RNA), a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base (adenine, guanine, cytosine, or thymine in DNA or uracil in RNA).