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Flashcards: Molecular Basis of Inheritance

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Molecular Basis of Inheritance
Flash cards
Page 2


Molecular Basis of Inheritance
Flash cards
Do you know what is DNA ?
Page 3


Molecular Basis of Inheritance
Flash cards
Do you know what is DNA ?
DNA is a long polymer of deoxyribonucleotides. 
The length of DNA is usually defined as number of
nucleotides (or a pair of nucleotide referred to as base
pairs) present in it. 
A Polynucleotide chain
Page 4


Molecular Basis of Inheritance
Flash cards
Do you know what is DNA ?
DNA is a long polymer of deoxyribonucleotides. 
The length of DNA is usually defined as number of
nucleotides (or a pair of nucleotide referred to as base
pairs) present in it. 
A Polynucleotide chain
A nucleotide has three components –a nitrogenous base, a
pentose sugar (ribose in case of RNA, and deoxyribosefor
DNA), and a phosphate group. 
There are two types of nitrogenous bases –
Purines(Adenine and Guanine), and Pyrimidines(Cytosine,
Uraciland Thymine)
Page 5


Molecular Basis of Inheritance
Flash cards
Do you know what is DNA ?
DNA is a long polymer of deoxyribonucleotides. 
The length of DNA is usually defined as number of
nucleotides (or a pair of nucleotide referred to as base
pairs) present in it. 
A Polynucleotide chain
A nucleotide has three components –a nitrogenous base, a
pentose sugar (ribose in case of RNA, and deoxyribosefor
DNA), and a phosphate group. 
There are two types of nitrogenous bases –
Purines(Adenine and Guanine), and Pyrimidines(Cytosine,
Uraciland Thymine)
Cytosine is common for both DNA and RNA and Thymine is
present in DNA. 
Uracil is present in RNA at the place of Thymine.
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FAQs on Flashcards: Molecular Basis of Inheritance

1. What is the difference between DNA and RNA in terms of structure and function?
Ans. DNA contains deoxyribose sugar and thymine, while RNA contains ribose sugar and uracil instead. DNA is double-stranded and stores genetic information permanently; RNA is typically single-stranded and functions in protein synthesis and gene regulation. Both are nucleic acids made of nucleotides, but their distinct structures determine their roles in molecular inheritance and cellular processes.
2. How does DNA replication work and why is it semi-conservative?
Ans. Semi-conservative replication means each new DNA molecule contains one original strand and one newly synthesized strand. DNA unwinds via helicase, and DNA polymerase adds complementary nucleotides to each strand. This mechanism ensures accurate copying of genetic information for daughter cells. The semi-conservative model was proven by Meselson and Stahl's classic experiments using isotope labelling.
3. What exactly happens during transcription and how is mRNA formed from DNA?
Ans. Transcription is the process where RNA polymerase reads DNA and synthesizes messenger RNA (mRNA) using complementary base pairing. The enzyme unwinds the DNA double helix, reads the template strand, and creates an mRNA copy containing uracil instead of thymine. This mRNA then carries genetic instructions from the nucleus to ribosomes for protein synthesis during translation.
4. Why do some mutations cause serious genetic diseases while others have no effect?
Ans. Mutation effects depend on location and type. Mutations in coding regions or regulatory sequences often cause disease; silent mutations in non-coding regions typically have no effect. Point mutations, frameshift mutations, and deletions vary in severity based on whether they alter critical amino acids or disrupt gene expression. Not all genetic variations translate to observable phenotypic changes or inheritance patterns.
5. What is the genetic code and how do codons determine which amino acids are used in proteins?
Ans. The genetic code is the universal language translating mRNA sequences into amino acids. Each codon-a three-nucleotide sequence-specifies one amino acid or a stop signal. Since 64 codons exist but only 20 amino acids occur naturally, the code is degenerate, meaning multiple codons code for the same amino acid. This redundancy provides protection against certain mutations during protein synthesis.
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