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Questions and Answers
What components make up a nucleotide in DNA?
What components make up a nucleotide in DNA?
Which pair of nucleotides are classified as purines?
Which pair of nucleotides are classified as purines?
What is the function of a phosphodiester bond in DNA structure?
What is the function of a phosphodiester bond in DNA structure?
How do adenine (A) and thymine (T) bond in DNA?
How do adenine (A) and thymine (T) bond in DNA?
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In DNA, which of the following statements about the nitrogenous bases is correct?
In DNA, which of the following statements about the nitrogenous bases is correct?
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What determines the difference among the four types of nucleotides in DNA?
What determines the difference among the four types of nucleotides in DNA?
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In terms of structure, which statement about purines and pyrimidines is true?
In terms of structure, which statement about purines and pyrimidines is true?
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What is the significance of semi-conservative replication in DNA replication?
What is the significance of semi-conservative replication in DNA replication?
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Which statement correctly describes the orientation of DNA strands?
Which statement correctly describes the orientation of DNA strands?
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During which phase does DNA replication occur in eukaryotes?
During which phase does DNA replication occur in eukaryotes?
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What is the direction of DNA synthesis during replication?
What is the direction of DNA synthesis during replication?
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What role does helicase play in DNA replication?
What role does helicase play in DNA replication?
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What is primarily required for the initiation of DNA replication?
What is primarily required for the initiation of DNA replication?
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Which process describes the accurate transmission of genetic material to daughter cells during cell division?
Which process describes the accurate transmission of genetic material to daughter cells during cell division?
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Which enzyme activity is involved in stabilizing the unwound DNA strands during replication?
Which enzyme activity is involved in stabilizing the unwound DNA strands during replication?
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What is the process called when daughter chromosomes are separated into two daughter cells?
What is the process called when daughter chromosomes are separated into two daughter cells?
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What is the primary role of primase in DNA replication?
What is the primary role of primase in DNA replication?
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In which direction does DNA polymerase add nucleotides during elongation?
In which direction does DNA polymerase add nucleotides during elongation?
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What function does exonuclease serve in DNA replication?
What function does exonuclease serve in DNA replication?
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Which of the following describes the role of ligase in DNA replication?
Which of the following describes the role of ligase in DNA replication?
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What characteristic differentiates RNA from DNA?
What characteristic differentiates RNA from DNA?
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Why is a template necessary for DNA polymerase function?
Why is a template necessary for DNA polymerase function?
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What unique feature of eukaryotic DNA replication is highlighted?
What unique feature of eukaryotic DNA replication is highlighted?
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How does the proofreading activity of DNA polymerase benefit DNA replication?
How does the proofreading activity of DNA polymerase benefit DNA replication?
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What is the role of telomerase in DNA replication?
What is the role of telomerase in DNA replication?
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What occurs at the 5' end of each daughter strand after RNA primer removal?
What occurs at the 5' end of each daughter strand after RNA primer removal?
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What is primarily responsible for adding nucleotides to the growing daughter strand during DNA replication?
What is primarily responsible for adding nucleotides to the growing daughter strand during DNA replication?
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Which sequence represents the highly conserved telomeric repeats found in humans?
Which sequence represents the highly conserved telomeric repeats found in humans?
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Which enzyme relaxes supercoiling that occurs during DNA replication?
Which enzyme relaxes supercoiling that occurs during DNA replication?
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Study Notes
DNA Structure
- DNA is a nucleic acid made of two polynucleotides.
- Each polynucleotide consists of nucleotides, which are made of a deoxyribose sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.
- There are four different types of nucleotides in DNA: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T).
- Adenine and guanine are purines, which have two rings.
- Cytosine and thymine are pyrimidines, which have one ring.
- Adenine pairs with thymine through hydrogen bonding.
- Guanine pairs with cytosine through hydrogen bonding.
- The two strands of DNA run in opposite directions (antiparallel) with a 5' end and a 3' end.
- The 5' end has a free phosphate group, and the 3' end has a free hydroxyl group.
- Nucleotides are linked together by phosphodiester bonds between the 3' hydroxyl group of one nucleotide and the 5' phosphate group of the next.
DNA Replication
- DNA replication must occur before cell division to ensure each daughter cell receives a complete set of genes.
- DNA replication is semiconservative, meaning each new DNA molecule consists of one original strand and one newly synthesized strand.
- DNA replication proceeds in a 5' to 3' direction.
- DNA replication is bidirectional, with replication forks moving in opposite directions away from the origin of replication.
- There are multiple origins of replication in eukaryotes but only one in prokaryotes.
- Replication of the entire mammalian genome takes approximately 8 hours.
Enzymes Involved in DNA Replication
- Helicase: unwinds the double helix.
- Single-strand binding proteins (SSBPs): stabilize the single-stranded DNA to keep it unwound.
- Primase: synthesizes RNA primers, which are required by DNA polymerase to start replication.
- DNA polymerase: adds nucleotides to the growing DNA strand in a 5' to 3' direction, using the parental strand as a template. It also has proofreading activity.
- Exonuclease: removes nucleotides from the end of a DNA strand in either the 5' to 3' or 3' to 5' direction. It also removes the RNA primers.
- Ligase: joins fragments of DNA together.
- Telomerase: adds short DNA repeats to the ends of linear chromosomes to prevent loss of genetic information.
- Gyrase: relaxes supercoils that form during replication.
Steps of DNA Replication
- Initiation: unwinding of the DNA helix at the origin of replication.
- Elongation: synthesis of new DNA strands.
- Termination: completion of replication and separation of the two daughter DNA molecules.
Leading and Lagging Strands
- Leading strand: synthesized continuously in the 5' to 3' direction.
- Lagging strand: synthesized discontinuously in short fragments called Okazaki fragments.
Telomeres
- Telomeres are G:C rich repeats found at the ends of linear chromosomes.
- Telomeres are non-coding but critical for maintaining DNA integrity.
- Telomerase adds short DNA repeats to the ends of chromosomes, preventing the loss of genetic information.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the structure and replication of DNA. This quiz covers the key components of DNA, including nucleotides, their pairing, and the process of DNA replication. Perfect for students studying molecular biology.