Molecular Biology: DNA Structure and Central Dogma

Key Concepts

• Molecular biology: the study of the structure, function, and interactions of biological molecules, such as DNA, RNA, proteins, and membranes.
• Central Dogma: the flow of genetic information from DNA to proteins, involving transcription and translation.

DNA Structure

• Double helix: the twisted ladder-like structure of DNA, composed of two complementary strands.
• Nucleotides: the building blocks of DNA, consisting of a sugar molecule, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base (A, C, G, or T).
• Base pairing: the complementary pairing of nitrogenous bases, with A-T and G-C being the two possible pairs.

Gene Expression

• Transcription: the process of creating a complementary RNA copy from a DNA template.
  • Initiation: the binding of RNA polymerase to the promoter region.
  • Elongation: the synthesis of RNA from the template DNA strand.
  • Termination: the release of the RNA transcript.
• Translation: the process of synthesizing a protein from an mRNA template.
  • Initiation: the binding of ribosomes to the mRNA.
  • Elongation: the addition of amino acids to the growing protein chain.
  • Termination: the release of the completed protein.

Proteins

• Primary structure: the sequence of amino acids in a protein.
• Secondary structure: the localized folding patterns of a protein, such as alpha helices and beta sheets.
• Tertiary structure: the overall 3D shape of a protein.
• Quaternary structure: the arrangement of multiple polypeptide chains in a protein.

Molecular Biology Techniques

• PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction): a method for amplifying specific DNA sequences.
• Gel electrophoresis: a technique for separating and analyzing DNA or protein molecules based on size and charge.
• Western blot: a method for detecting specific proteins in a sample.
• Microarrays: a tool for analyzing the expression of thousands of genes simultaneously.

Applications of Molecular Biology

• Genetic engineering: the manipulation of an organism's genome to introduce new traits.
• Gene therapy: the use of genes to treat or prevent diseases.
• Forensic analysis: the use of DNA analysis in forensic science.
• Cancer research: the study of genetic changes associated with cancer development and progression.

Molecular Biology

• Molecular biology is the study of the structure, function, and interactions of biological molecules, such as DNA, RNA, proteins, and membranes.

DNA Structure

• The double helix is the twisted ladder-like structure of DNA, composed of two complementary strands.
• Nucleotides are the building blocks of DNA, consisting of a sugar molecule, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base (A, C, G, or T).
• Base pairing is the complementary pairing of nitrogenous bases, with A-T and G-C being the two possible pairs.

Gene Expression

• The Central Dogma is the flow of genetic information from DNA to proteins, involving transcription and translation.
• Transcription is the process of creating a complementary RNA copy from a DNA template, involving initiation, elongation, and termination.
• Translation is the process of synthesizing a protein from an mRNA template, involving initiation, elongation, and termination.

Proteins

• The primary structure of a protein is the sequence of amino acids.
• The secondary structure of a protein refers to localized folding patterns, such as alpha helices and beta sheets.
• The tertiary structure of a protein is the overall 3D shape.
• The quaternary structure of a protein refers to the arrangement of multiple polypeptide chains.

Molecular Biology Techniques

• PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) is a method for amplifying specific DNA sequences.
• Gel electrophoresis is a technique for separating and analyzing DNA or protein molecules based on size and charge.
• Western blot is a method for detecting specific proteins in a sample.
• Microarrays are a tool for analyzing the expression of thousands of genes simultaneously.

Applications of Molecular Biology

• Genetic engineering is the manipulation of an organism's genome to introduce new traits.
• Gene therapy is the use of genes to treat or prevent diseases.
• Forensic analysis is the use of DNA analysis in forensic science.
• Cancer research involves the study of genetic changes associated with cancer development and progression.