Name: Dani Dawson Course/section: Biol 1406 Section P08

Chapters 5 (Nucleic acids), 16 & 17 Worksheet: (Max Marks: 20% - Part of Final Exam)

1. What do the letters DNA stand for? … and RNA?

Deoxyribonucleic Acid Ribonucleic Acid

2. The two scientists credited with discovering the structure of DNA James Watson and Francis
Crick

3. DNA is a polymer, made up of many repeating monomers called nucleotides.

4. Each nucleotide is made up of 3 parts; they are nitrogenous base, pentose sugar, and a
phosphate group.

5. Give 3 differences between DNA and RNA:

DNA RNA
1. DNA is double-stranded RNA is single-stranded

2. Contains a deoxyribose sugar Contains ribose as sugar

3. Contains thymine Contains uracil

6. What does Chargaff’s rule for complimentary base pairing state?

DNA base pairs are always adenine with thymine and cytosine with guanine. A purine always
pairs with a pyrimidine and vice versa.

7. One nucleotide is bonded to the next via phosphodiester bonds. One base is bonded to its
compliment via hydrogen bonds.

8. What is….?
a. Replication: a double-stranded DNA molecule is copied to produce two identical DNA
molecules

b. Transcription: the synthesis of RNA under the direction of DNA

c. Translation: the synthesis of a polypeptide, which occurs under the direction of mRNA.
10. Where in the cell do the following processes occur?
a. Replication – nucleus
b. Transcription – in the nucleus
c. Translation – ribosomes

11. What happens during the following events?

Transcription Translation
1. Initiation RNA polymerase binds to Ribosome gets together with
promoter. Signals DNA to mRNA and the first tRNA
unwind so the enzyme can
read the bases in one of the
DNA strands.
2. Elongation Addition of nucleotides to the Amino acids are brought to
mRNA strand. RNA the ribosome by tRNA and
polymerase reads unwound linked together to form a
DNA and builds the mRNA chain.
molecule using
complementary base strands.
3. Termination End of transcription and Finished polypeptide is
occurs when RNA released to go and do its job
polymerase crosses a in the cell.
termination sequence in the
gene. mRNA strand is
complete and detaches from
DNA.

12: Give the function of the following enzymes and mention the process they are a part of:

Enzyme Process Function

RNA polymerase Transcription Attaches to a particular DNA sequence

called the promoter. Reads template in 3’ to
5’ direction
DNA polymerase III Replication Synthesize DNA from 5’ to 3’ end on the
leading and lagging strand and has exo
nuclease activity from 3’ to 5’ end for proof
reading
Ligase Replication Repairs irregularities or breaks in the
backbone of double-stranded DNA
molecules.
Helicase Replication Untwist the double helix at the replication
forks.
 Primase Replication Start an RNA strand from scratch and adds
RNA nucleotides one at a time using the
parental DNA as a template.
Topoisomerase Replication Corrects “overwinding” ahead of
replication forks by breaking, swiveling,
and rejoining DNA strands.
DNA Polymerase I Replication Catalyze the elongation of new DNA at a
replication fork. Adds nucleotides only to
the free 3’ end of a growing strand

13. Give the complimentary DNA strand sequence: 5’-ATGC-3’

DNA compliment: TACG

14. Give the complimentary RNA strand sequence: 5’-ATGC-3’

RNA compliment: UACG