Nucleic Acids: Structure and Function

If a newly discovered virus contains uracil but not thymine as one of its nitrogenous bases, which type of nucleic acid is most likely to make up its genome?

Which of the following is a critical function of nucleic acids in living organisms?

A nucleotide is composed of which of the following?

How does the pentose sugar in DNA differ from the pentose sugar in RNA?

An unknown molecule is found to contain a nitrogenous base, a pentose sugar, but no phosphate group. What is this molecule most likely to be?

A DNA sequence described as a palindrome contains inverted repeats with what kind of symmetry?

Which of the following nitrogenous bases is a purine?

Mirror repeats differ from palindromes in that mirror repeats:

What is the function of messenger RNA (mRNA) as proposed by Jacob and Monod?

Which of the following statements accurately describes the role of functional nucleotides such as ATP?

Which of the following best describes the relationship between nucleic acids and proteins within a cell?

The process of transcription can be best described as:

Which of the following best describe a monocistronic mRNA?

How does a polycistronic mRNA differ from a monocistronic mRNA?

Which cellular component or process is directly linked to an increase in cytoplasmic RNA?

What structural feature is associated with palindromic DNA sequences due to their self-complementary nature?

Which statement accurately describes the arrangement of the two DNA strands in a double helix?

What type of bond connects complementary bases in a DNA double helix?

According to Chargaff's rules, if a DNA molecule contains 20% Adenine, what percentage of Guanine would be present?

Which of the following contributes most significantly to the stability of the DNA double helix, aside from hydrogen bonding?

In the tertiary structure of DNA, where are the hydrophilic components located?

What is the primary difference between the 5' and 3' ends of a DNA strand?

If a mutation resulted in a DNA strand where adenine (A) was replaced by guanine (G), which of the following consequences is most likely?

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the DNA double helix?

What primarily dictates the minimum length of an mRNA molecule?

If a scientist discovers a mutation that significantly reduces the stability of DNA, which aspect of its role would be most compromised?

In the context of DNA's tertiary structure, what is the significance of the major and minor grooves?

How does the arrangement of deoxyribose and phosphate groups in the DNA double helix contribute to its stability in an aqueous environment?

What is the primary role of chromatin in eukaryotic cells?

At which level of chromatin organization does the nucleosome represent?

If a drug prevented the formation of proper chromatin structure, which cellular process would be most directly affected?

During DNA replication, an error occurs where guanine is inserted instead of adenine on one strand. What will be the corresponding base on the complementary strand after replication?

Why is thymine, rather than uracil, typically found in DNA?

What would be the long-term consequence if cytosine deamination was not effectively repaired in DNA?

What is the primary consequence of an AP site (apurinic/apyrimidinic site) in DNA?

Why is depurination of ribonucleotides in RNA generally considered physiologically insignificant compared to depurination in DNA?

What type of DNA damage is most likely to result from exposure to UV light?

How does ionizing radiation (e.g., X-rays and gamma rays) primarily damage DNA?

Incubating DNA at pH 3 causes selective removal of the purine bases, resulting in a derivative called apurinic acid. Why does acidic pH cause this?

Suppose a cell has a mutation that impairs its ability to repair cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers. What is the most likely consequence of this mutation if the cell is exposed to UV radiation?

Why is RNA susceptible to hydrolysis in an alkaline environment, while DNA is resistant?

What is the primary outcome of mild acid hydrolysis (pH about 3) on a polynucleotide?

What impact does the use of hydrazine have on nucleic acids?

During the determination of a base ratio in a polynucleotide, why is it important to carefully consider cytosine deamination?

How do 3'- and 5'-exonucleases differ in their mechanism of action?

What distinguishes endonucleases from exonucleases in their cleavage activity on nucleic acids?

How does the cleavage specificity of pancreatic RNase differ from that of RNase T1?

What is the distinguishing feature of restriction endonucleases regarding their activity on DNA?