13.1 RNA
What are the 3 differences between RNA and DNA?
1) the sugar in RNA is Ribose instead of Deoxyribose 2) RNA is single-stranded (DNA is double-stranded) 3) RNA contains Uracil instead of Thymine (in DNA)
Like workers in a factory, each type of RNA molecule specializes in a different aspect of the job. There are 3 types of RNA. What are they?
1. Messenger RNA 2. Robosomal RNA 3. Transfer RNA
What is DNA made up of?
1. a 5-carbon sugar 2. a phosphate group, and 3. a nitrogenous base
The structure of DNA by itself did not fully explain how a gene actually works. What did scientists find?
Another nucleic acid, Ribonucleic acid, or RNA was also involved in putting the genetic code into action.
What is the analogy of DNA and RNA using the example of a contractor?
Contractors have a Master Plan that has all of the information needed to build a house. This Master Plan is usually left in the office, and not brought to the job site so it will not get damaged. Instead, copies of the Master Plan (or blueprints) are brought to the job site. In this analogy, DNA is the Master Plan and RNA is the plan used at the job site.
What are Exons?
Exons are the remaining pieces that are spliced back together to form the final mRNA.
Describe how DNA and RNA work.
Genes contain coded DNA instructions that tell genes how to build proteins. The first step in decoding these instructions is to copy part of the base sequence from the DNA into the RNA. RNA then uses the instructions to direct the production of proteins.
What is Transcription?
In Transcription, segments of DNA act as templates to produce complementary RNA segments (DNA is the Master Plan, RNA is the blueprint)
What are Introns?
Introns are the portions that are cut out (edited) and discarded
What is Messenger RNA (mRNA)?
Messenger RNA carries information and instructions for protein assembly from DNA to other parts of the cell made in the nucleus.
How does a cell make RNA?
Most of the work of making RNA takes places during Transcription?
What are Promoters?
Promoters are regions of the DNA that have specific Base sequences. Promoters signals in the DNA that show the RNA Polymerase where to begin making RNA.
Where does Transcription take place in Prokaryotes?
Protein synthesis takes place in the Cytoplasm
What is Ribosomal RNA (rRNA)?
Proteins are assembled on Ribosomes, small organelles composed of two subunits. These subunits are made up of rRNA.
What is RNA Polymerase?
RNA Polymerase is similar to DNA Polymerase and is the enzyme that allows Transcription to happen.
How does RNA Polymerase help Transcription?
RNA Polymerase uses one strand of DNA as a template to assemble nucleotides into a complementary strand of RNA
What are the functions of RNA?
RNA has one and only job: protein synthesis. RNA controls the assembly of amino acids into proteins
Where does Transcription take place in Eukaryotes?
RNA is produced in the Nucleus and then is moved to the Cytoplasm
What is RNA editing?
RNA sometimes requires parts to be cut out/edited before heading to action
What is RNA?
RNA, like DNA, is a nucleic acid that consists of a long chain of nucleotides. RNA uses the instructions from the DNA to direct the production of proteins.
Using the analogy, compare DNA to RNA
The DNA "master plan" always stays in the Nucleus. The RNA "blueprint" go to the protein building "job sites" in the Cytoplasm.
How does RNA Polymerase know where to start and stop making a strand of DNA?
The RNA Polymerase doesn't bind to DNA just anywhere. The enzyme only bonds to Promoters.
What is Transfer RNA?
Transfer RNA transfers each amino acid to the ribosome as it is specified in the mRNA
Are there similar signals in DNA that cause Transcription to stop?
Yes
Does Transcription require an Enzyme?
Yes. An enzyme known as RNA Polymerase.
Does RNA have a similar make up?
Yes. Except that sugar in RNA is Ribose vs Deoxyribose in DNA.
Q2. All of the following are functions of RNA except: a. assembling DNA b. forming the structure for ribosomes c. transferring amino acids to the ribosome during protein assembly d. carrying genetic info from DNA to other parts of the cell.
a. assembling DNA
Q1. What is one difference between RNA and DNA? a. DNA is generally single-stranded instead of double-stranded. b. RNA contains Uracil instead of Thymine c. the sugar in RNA is deoxyribose instead of ribose d. RNA stays in the Nucleus while DNA travels to the Ribosomes in the Cytoplasm for protein synthesis.
b. RNA contains Uracil instead of Thymine
Q5. Which is an RNA Polymerase binding site on a typical gene? a. operon b. promoter c. repressor d. intron
b. promoter
Q3. In eukaryotes, transcription occurs in the: a. cytoplasm b. Golgi apparatus c. Nucleus d. Ribosomes
c. Nucleus
Q4. Transfer RNA is important in: a. synthesizing RNA codons b. assembling ribosomes c. transporting messenger RNA d. assembling proteins
d. assembling proteins
