Semester Exam 1

Front

What is a codon?

Back

A codon is a sequence of three nucleotides in mRNA that specifies a particular amino acid or a stop signal during protein synthesis.

Front

What does the codon UGA signify in protein synthesis?

Back

UGA is a stop codon that signals the termination of polypeptide synthesis.

Front

What is the purpose of transcription in cellular processes?

Back

Transcription is the process of copying a segment of DNA into RNA, allowing the information in the DNA to be used by the cell.

Front

What is an inversion in genetics?

Back

An inversion is a chromosomal rearrangement where a segment of a chromosome is reversed end to end.

Front

What is a mutation?

Back

A mutation is a change in the DNA sequence that can lead to changes in the structure and function of proteins.

Front

What is the strand-slippage hypothesis?

Back

The strand-slippage hypothesis suggests that mutations can occur in repetitive DNA sequences due to the misalignment of DNA strands during replication.

Front

What is an insertion mutation?

Back

An insertion mutation occurs when one or more nitrogenous bases are added to a DNA sequence, potentially altering the resulting protein.

Front

What are nitrogenous bases?

Back

Nitrogenous bases are the building blocks of DNA and RNA, consisting of adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and uracil (U) in RNA.

Front

What is the role of methionine in protein synthesis?

Back

Methionine is the first amino acid in a newly synthesized polypeptide chain, often serving as the start signal for translation.

Front

What is the significance of repeated sequences in DNA?

Back

Repeated sequences in DNA can lead to increased mutation rates due to errors during DNA replication, such as strand slippage.