What is the primary function of RNA in living systems?

RNA functions primarily as a messenger and also has roles as adapter, structural, and catalytic molecule.

Fill in the blank: The two types of nucleic acids found in living systems are ______ and ______.

DNA and RNA

True or False: The double helix structure of DNA was first proposed by Watson and Crick in 1953.

True

What is the significant difference between purines and pyrimidines?

Purines have a double-ring structure (adenine and guanine), while pyrimidines have a single-ring structure (cytosine, thymine, and uracil).

Riddle: I am a molecule that carries genetic instructions, composed of nucleotides, and can replicate myself. What am I?

DNA

Which enzyme is primarily responsible for synthesizing RNA from a DNA template during transcription?

RNA polymerase

Fill in the blank: In eukaryotes, genes are often interrupted by non-coding sequences called ______.

Introns

True or False: The genetic code is universal, meaning it is the same across all organisms.

True

What process describes the copying of genetic information from DNA to RNA?

Transcription

Riddle: I am a stretch of DNA that can produce multiple proteins, often found in bacteria. What am I?

Polycistronic gene

Which type of mutation results from the insertion or deletion of one or two nucleotide pairs?

Frameshift mutation

Fill in the blank: The Human Genome Project aimed to determine the sequence of ______ base pairs in human DNA.

3 billion

True or False: DNA is less chemically stable than RNA due to the presence of the 2'-OH group in RNA.

False

What are the three main types of RNA involved in protein synthesis?

mRNA, tRNA, and rRNA

Fill in the blank: The part of DNA that initiates transcription by providing a binding site for RNA polymerase is called the ______.

Promoter

What is the central dogma of molecular biology?

DNA → RNA → Protein

Riddle: I am a sequence that codes for an amino acid and can be found in mRNA; I am made up of three nucleotides. What am I?

Codon

Which experiment provided clear evidence that DNA is the genetic material?

Hershey-Chase experiment

True or False: The genetic material must be able to replicate, mutate, and express Mendelian characters.

True

What protein structure involves the wrapping of DNA around histones?

Nucleosome

Fill in the blank: A mutation that changes a single base pair in a gene is known as a ______ mutation.

Point

What is the role of the lac operon in E. coli?

The lac operon regulates the metabolism of lactose by controlling the expression of genes needed for its utilization.

Riddle: I am the type of bond formed between amino acids in a protein, and I require energy to form. What am I?

Peptide bond

Which structure in eukaryotic cells contains the majority of the cell's genetic material?

Nucleus

Fill in the blank: The process of removing introns and joining exons in mRNA is known as ______.

Splicing

True or False: The sequence of nucleotides in RNA directly correlates to the sequence of amino acids in proteins.

True

What is the role of tRNA in the process of translation?

tRNA brings specific amino acids to the ribosome and matches them to the codons in mRNA.

Fill in the blank: The repetitive DNA sequences that are often used in DNA fingerprinting are called ______.

VNTR (Variable Number of Tandem Repeats)

Riddle: I serve as the template for protein synthesis, and my sequence is determined by the DNA. What am I?

mRNA

What is the unique feature of the double-helix structure of DNA that allows for its stability?

Complementary base pairing and hydrogen bonding

Fill in the blank: In DNA, Adenine pairs with ______, while Guanine pairs with ______.

Thymine; Cytosine

True or False: Transcription and translation can occur simultaneously in eukaryotic cells.

False. In eukaryotic cells, transcription occurs in the nucleus and translation occurs in the cytoplasm.

What is the primary role of the ribosome in protein synthesis?

The ribosome is responsible for assembling amino acids into proteins.

Fill in the blank: The process by which DNA is copied to produce two identical DNA molecules is called ______.

Replication

Riddle: I am an experiment that used heavy nitrogen to prove the semiconservative nature of DNA replication. What am I?

Meselson-Stahl experiment

What is the significance of the 5' and 3' ends of a polynucleotide chain?

They determine the directionality of the DNA or RNA strand and influence the synthesis process.

True or False: DNA can be found in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells.

False. DNA is primarily found in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells.

Fill in the blank: The segments of DNA that do not code for proteins but may regulate gene expression are known as ______.

Regulatory sequences

What is the primary reason for the stability of DNA compared to RNA?

DNA lacks the 2'-OH group, making it less reactive and more stable.

Riddle: I am the process by which a living organism's traits are passed from one generation to the next through DNA. What am I?

Inheritance

What type of RNA carries the genetic code from DNA to the ribosome?

mRNA

True or False: All viruses use DNA as their genetic material.

False. Some viruses use RNA as their genetic material.

Fill in the blank: The genetic code is said to be ______ because multiple codons can code for the same amino acid.

Degenerate

What is the role of the operator in the lac operon?

The operator is the region where the repressor protein binds to prevent transcription.

Riddle: I am a type of mutation that can change the entire reading frame of a gene. What am I?

Frameshift mutation

What is the primary focus of the Human Genome Project?

To determine the complete sequence of the human genome and identify all human genes.

Fill in the blank: The enzyme that joins Okazaki fragments during DNA replication is called ______.

DNA ligase

True or False: The promoter region of a gene is located downstream of the coding sequence.

False. The promoter is located upstream of the coding sequence.

Which of the following statements about DNA structure is true? A) DNA is made of ribonucleotides B) DNA strands run parallel to each other C) Adenine pairs with Thymine D) DNA does not have a sugar-phosphate backbone

C) Adenine pairs with Thymine

Fill in the blank: The ______ is the term used to describe the molecular mechanism where DNA serves as a template for RNA synthesis.

Transcription

True or False: In eukaryotes, transcription and translation occur simultaneously in the nucleus.

False. In eukaryotes, transcription occurs in the nucleus while translation occurs in the cytoplasm.

What is the role of tRNA in protein synthesis?

tRNA serves as an adapter molecule that brings amino acids to the ribosome, matching its anticodon with the codon on the mRNA.

Riddle: I am a process that copies the genetic blueprint from DNA to RNA, but only a segment of me is transcribed. What am I?

Transcription

Fill in the blank: The ______ describes the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to Protein.

Central dogma

What experimental proof did Meselson and Stahl provide for DNA replication?

They demonstrated that DNA replicates semiconservatively, where each new DNA molecule contains one original strand and one newly synthesized strand.