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Questions and Answers
Molecular biology is the study of gene structure and function at the cellular level.
Molecular biology is the study of gene structure and function at the cellular level.
False
Robert Hooke discovered DNA in 1665.
Robert Hooke discovered DNA in 1665.
False
Theodor Schwann and Matthias Schleiden studied cells in the 1860s.
Theodor Schwann and Matthias Schleiden studied cells in the 1860s.
False
Molecular biology is the study of molecular basis of replication, transcription, and translation of genetic material.
Molecular biology is the study of molecular basis of replication, transcription, and translation of genetic material.
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Hemoglobin is a type of RNA.
Hemoglobin is a type of RNA.
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Gregor Mendel discovered the basic rules of heredity in 1870.
Gregor Mendel discovered the basic rules of heredity in 1870.
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Molecular biology is the study of interactions between various systems of a cell.
Molecular biology is the study of interactions between various systems of a cell.
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Molecular biology is a field that only overlaps with genetics.
Molecular biology is a field that only overlaps with genetics.
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Johann Friedrich Miescher discovered DNA and named it nucleic acid.
Johann Friedrich Miescher discovered DNA and named it nucleic acid.
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By 1900, the chemical structures of all 20 amino acids had been identified.
By 1900, the chemical structures of all 20 amino acids had been identified.
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Emil Hermann Fischer discovered genes on chromosomes.
Emil Hermann Fischer discovered genes on chromosomes.
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George Beadle and Edward Tatum identified that genes make proteins.
George Beadle and Edward Tatum identified that genes make proteins.
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Edwin Chargaff discovered that Adenine complements Cytosine.
Edwin Chargaff discovered that Adenine complements Cytosine.
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Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase discovered the double helical structure of DNA.
Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase discovered the double helical structure of DNA.
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Mahlon Bush Hoagland was the first to isolate DNA.
Mahlon Bush Hoagland was the first to isolate DNA.
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George Emil Palade showed the site of protein manufacturing in the cytoplasm is made on DNA organelles called ribosomes.
George Emil Palade showed the site of protein manufacturing in the cytoplasm is made on DNA organelles called ribosomes.
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The first restriction enzyme was isolated in 1970 by Howard Temin and David Baltimore.
The first restriction enzyme was isolated in 1970 by Howard Temin and David Baltimore.
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Leroy Hood developed an automated sequencing mechanism in 1995.
Leroy Hood developed an automated sequencing mechanism in 1995.
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The first human chromosome was sequenced in 2001.
The first human chromosome was sequenced in 2001.
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John Craig Venter sequenced the first eukaryotic genome in 1996.
John Craig Venter sequenced the first eukaryotic genome in 1996.
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The Human Genome Project was completed in April 2004.
The Human Genome Project was completed in April 2004.
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The first bacterial genomes were sequenced in 1996.
The first bacterial genomes were sequenced in 1996.
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Moderate-resolution maps of chromosomes 3, 11, 12, and 22 were published in 1996.
Moderate-resolution maps of chromosomes 3, 11, 12, and 22 were published in 1996.
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The rat genome was sequenced in 2003.
The rat genome was sequenced in 2003.
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The sequence of 3 adjacent nucleotides is called a gene.
The sequence of 3 adjacent nucleotides is called a gene.
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The genetic code is universal among all organisms.
The genetic code is universal among all organisms.
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Ribosomes are found only in eukaryotic cells.
Ribosomes are found only in eukaryotic cells.
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Transcription is the process of converting a specific sequence of RNA into DNA.
Transcription is the process of converting a specific sequence of RNA into DNA.
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The genetic code is degenerate because one codon encodes multiple amino acids.
The genetic code is degenerate because one codon encodes multiple amino acids.
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The Phenotype is the genetic makeup of an organism.
The Phenotype is the genetic makeup of an organism.
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Replication is the process of converting a specific sequence of DNA into RNA.
Replication is the process of converting a specific sequence of DNA into RNA.
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The four letters of the genetic code are A, B, G, and C.
The four letters of the genetic code are A, B, G, and C.
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Study Notes
Molecular Biology
- Molecular biology is the study of biological phenomena at the molecular level, focusing on the structure and function of genes at the molecular level.
- It involves understanding interactions between DNA, RNA, and protein biosynthesis, as well as learning how these interactions are regulated.
Critical Molecules Involved in Molecular Biology
- DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid): stores genetic information
- RNA (ribonucleic acid): involved in protein biosynthesis
- Protein: major structural and enzymatic molecule in cells
History of Molecular Biology
1665-1800
- Robert Hooke (1635-1703) discovered that organisms are made up of cells
- Matthias Schleiden (1804-1881) and Theodor Schwann (1810-1882) expanded the study of cells in the 1830s
1800-1870
- 1865: Gregor Mendel discovered the basic rules of heredity, including the concept of dominant and recessive traits
- 1869: Johann Friedrich Miescher discovered DNA and named it nuclein
1880-1900
- 1881: Edward Zacharias showed that chromosomes are composed of nuclein
- 1899: Richard Altmann renamed nuclein to nucleic acid
- By 1900: chemical structures of all 20 amino acids had been identified
1900-1911
- 1902: Emil Hermann Fischer won the Nobel prize for showing that amino acids are linked and form proteins
- 1911: Thomas Hunt Morgan discovered that genes on chromosomes are the discrete units of heredity
- 1911: Pheobus Aaron Theodore Levene discovered RNA
1940-1950
- 1941: George Beadle and Edward Tatum identified that genes make proteins
- 1950: Edwin Chargaff found that cytosine complements guanine and adenine complements thymine
1950-1952
- 1950s: Mahlon Bush Hoagland first isolated tRNA
- 1952: Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase made genes from DNA
1952-1960
- 1952-1953: James D. Watson and Francis H.C. Crick deduced the double helical structure of DNA
- 1956: George Emil Palade showed the site of enzymes manufacturing in the cytoplasm is made on RNA organelles called ribosomes
1970
- 1970: Howard Temin and David Baltimore independently isolated the first restriction enzyme, enabling DNA to be cut into reproducible pieces at specific sites and introduced into bacterial hosts
1986-1995
- 1986: Leroy Hood developed an automated sequencing mechanism
- 1986: The Human Genome Initiative was announced
- 1995: Moderate-resolution maps of chromosomes 3, 11, 12, and 22 were published, providing locations of "markers" on each chromosome to make locating genes easier
1995-1996
- 1995: John Craig Venter: First bacterial genomes sequenced
- 1995: Automated fluorescent sequencing instruments and robotic operations
- 1996: First eukaryotic genome (yeast) sequenced
1997-1999
- 1999: First human chromosome (number 22) sequenced
2000-2001
- 2001: International Human Genome Sequencing published the first draft of the sequence of the human genome
2003-Present
- April 2003: The Human Genome Project was completed
- Mouse genome is sequenced
- April 2004: Rat genome sequenced
- Next-generation sequencing: genomes being sequenced by the dozen
Terminology
- Nucleic acid: Biological molecules (RNA and DNA) that allow organisms to reproduce
- Gene: Basic physical and functional units of heredity, located on chromosomes, consisting of specific sequences of DNA bases, encoding instructions on how to make proteins
- Genotype: The genetic makeup of an organism
- Phenotype: The physical expressed traits of an organism
The Central Dogma
- DNA encodes RNA and RNA encodes protein
- Flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein
Key Points
- The genetic code is degenerate because 64 codons encode only 22 amino acids
- The genetic code is universal because it is the same among all organisms
Processes
- Replication: process of copying a molecule of DNA
- Transcription: process of converting a specific sequence of DNA into RNA
- Translation: process where a ribosome decodes mRNA into a protein
Terms
- Ribosome: protein/mRNA complexes found in all cells, responsible for protein production by translating messenger RNA
- Codon: sequence of 3 adjacent nucleotides that encode specific amino acid during protein synthesis or translation
- Degenerate: redundancy of the genetic code, where more than one codon codes for each amino acid
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Description
Explore the basics of molecular biology, including the structure and function of genes, DNA, RNA, and protein biosynthesis, and learn how these interactions are regulated.
