The Central Dogma of Molecular Biology Quiz

The Central Dogma of Molecular Biology: From One Gene to One Polypeptide

• Archibald Garrod's study of alkaptonuria in 1896 led to the discovery of an "inborn error of metabolism" caused by gene mutations that code for defective enzymes.
• George Beadle and Edward Tatum's research with Neurospora crassa in the 1940s showed the direct relationship between genes and enzymes, leading to the one gene–one enzyme hypothesis.
• The one gene–one polypeptide hypothesis expanded on the one gene–one enzyme hypothesis to include other assemblies of amino acids.
• Francis Crick named the flow of information from DNA to RNA to protein the "central dogma" in 1956.
• Transcription is the mechanism of copying the information encoded in DNA onto a complementary RNA molecule, which takes place in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells.
• Translation is the process of assembling amino acids into a polypeptide using the information encoded in RNA, which takes place on ribosomes in the cytosol.
• RNA carries genetic information like DNA but differs in several ways, including a ribose sugar with a hydroxyl group on its 2' carbon and uracil instead of thymine.
• Three major types of RNA are involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA).
• The genetic code determines the specific amino acids coded for by DNA or complementary RNA bases, using combinations of at least three bases.
• Each three-letter combination in mRNA is called a codon, with 61 "sense codons" coding for amino acids and three stop codons.
• Methionine is the start codon and initiates translation, while redundancy in the genetic code allows for multiple codons to specify the same amino acid.
• The wobble hypothesis explains how the third base in a codon can change while still coding for the same amino acid, and the genetic code is universal with minor exceptions found in some organisms.

Test your knowledge of the central dogma of molecular biology with this informative quiz! From the discovery of gene mutations to the one gene-one polypeptide hypothesis, this quiz covers the basics of molecular biology. Challenge yourself with questions on transcription, translation, RNA types, genetic code, and more. Get ready to explore the fascinating world of molecular biology!