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Mastering biology chapter 17 Flashcards

Mastering biology chapter 17
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  • What is the central dogma of molecular biology?
    DNA -> RNA -> Protein
  • What is transcription?
    The process of copying a segment of DNA into RNA.
  • What enzyme is responsible for transcription?
    RNA polymerase
  • What is the role of mRNA in protein synthesis?
    mRNA carries the genetic information from DNA to the ribosome.
  • What is translation in biology?
    The process of synthesizing proteins from mRNA.
  • What are codons?
    Sequences of three nucleotides in mRNA that specify an amino acid.
  • What is the function of tRNA?
    tRNA brings amino acids to the ribosome during translation.
  • What is a ribosome's role in translation?
    Ribosomes facilitate the linking of amino acids to form proteins.
  • What is a promoter in genetics?
    A DNA sequence that initiates gene transcription.
  • What is a mutation?
    A change in the nucleotide sequence of DNA.
  • What is the difference between introns and exons?
    Introns are non-coding regions; exons are coding regions of a gene.
  • What is RNA splicing?
    The process of removing introns and joining exons in mRNA.
  • What is a poly-A tail?
    A stretch of adenine nucleotides added to mRNA's 3' end.
  • What is the significance of the 5' cap in mRNA?
    It protects mRNA from degradation and assists in ribosome binding.
  • What is a frameshift mutation?
    A genetic mutation caused by insertions or deletions that change the reading frame.
  • What is the role of the spliceosome?
    A complex that removes introns from pre-mRNA.
  • What is an operon?
    A group of genes regulated together, found in prokaryotes.
  • What is the function of a repressor protein?
    It binds to the operator to prevent transcription.
  • What is the lac operon?
    A set of genes involved in lactose metabolism in E. coli.
  • What is the role of enhancers in gene expression?
    DNA sequences that increase the rate of transcription.
  • What is alternative splicing?
    A process that allows a single gene to code for multiple proteins.
  • What is a silent mutation?
    A mutation that does not change the amino acid sequence of a protein.
  • What is the role of the TATA box?
    A DNA sequence indicating where a genetic sequence can be read and decoded.
  • What is a nonsense mutation?
    A mutation that converts an amino acid codon into a stop codon.
  • What is the function of a transcription factor?
    Proteins that help turn specific genes on or off by binding to nearby DNA.