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MAGNET BIOLOGY
GENETICS STUDY GUIDE – UNIT 6
CHAPTER 13: DNA Structure and Replication
The Genetic Material
1. List the properties that a substance must possess in order to serve as the genetic material of
an organism.
2. How many genes are in a human cell?
3. Explain how the experiments of Griffiths and others (the ones you learned in class)
demonstrated that DNA was the genetic material of an organism.
4. Describe the chemical structure of DNA as defined by the double-helix model. Include the
structure and pairing of the nitrogenous bases. Draw the bases. Which are purines and
which are pyrimidines?
5. List the scientists and the evidence that contributed to this model.
Replication of DNA
4. Explain why the replication of DNA is described as semiconservative. Which scientists
discovered this method?
5. List and explain the steps of DNA replication. Include all enzymes involved. Draw a picture if
it helps.
6. Contrast DNA replication in eukaryotes and prokaryotes.
7. Polymerase enzymes “read” the DNA in which direction? They build in which direction?
Which end of the molecule can they attach new nucleotides to? Draw a picture if it helps.
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CHAPTER 14: The Genetic Code
The Genetic Code of Life
7. Define the central dogma of molecular biology.
8. How does the genetic code actually code for proteins? Describe mRNA, codons, and tRNA’s
role.
9. Describe the “book” analogy of the genetic code. How many letters are in a word of DNA
code? What are the “words” and what do they code for?
First Step: Transcription
9. List the events that occur during the formation of a messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule
during transcription. Describe the 3 steps as well as the role of enzymes.
10. Describe how mRNA molecules are processed in a eukaryote. Discuss introns, exons, and
the cap and tail.
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Second Step: Translation
11. Define the role of transfer RNA (tRNA) in translating the genetic code.
12. Explain the role of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) in translating the genetic code.
13. List the three stages of translation (initiation, elongation, & termination) and discuss the
events that occur during each stage.
Mutations
14. What is a mutation?
15. List and define the types of mutations:
Practice: Transcribe and translate the genes below:
DNA: T A C G C G T A T A C C G A C A T T C
mRNA:
tRNA:
AA:
DNA: T A C G G G C C T A T A C G C T A C T A C T CA T G G A T C G G
mRNA:
tRNA:
AA:
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CHAPTER 15: Gene Regulation
Lac/Trp Operon
The Lac and Trp operons are part of prokaryotic or eukaryotic gene regulation? This occurs at what
stage in protein synthesis?
What are the parts of an operon? Include regulatory genes and all binding proteins.
Describe the Lac Operon and how it functions.
Describe the Trp Operon and how it functions.
Barr Bodies
What are they? What is their function? How do they form?
Regulation of Cancer Cells
What mutations must happen for cancer to occur? Describe the types of genes and the interactions
between them.
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CHAPTER 16: Biotechnology
Recombinant DNA Technology
What is it?
What are the enzymes involved? What were their original functions? (before we used them for
biotech)
Cloning
What is it? How does it work?
PCR
What does it do? What is its purpose?
Gel Electrophoresis
Why do we need gel electrophoresis? What does it do? How does it do that?
Human Genome Project
Describe it. What was its purpose?
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YAY! You did it! Now get a good night’s sleep before the test 