Chapter 17

1. Give early experimental evidence that implicated proteins as the links between genotype and phenotype.
2. Describe Beadle and Tatum's experiments with Neurospora, and explain the contribution they made to our understanding of how genes control metabolism.
3. Distinguish between "one gene—one enzyme" hypothesis and "one gene—one polypeptide," and explain why the original hypothesis was changed.
4. Explain how RNA differs from DNA.
5. In their own words, briefly explain how information flows from gene to protein.
6. Distinguish between transcription and translation.
7. Describe where transcription and translation occur in prokaryotes and in eukaryotes; explain why it is significant that in eukaryotes, transcription and translation are separated in space and time.
8. Define codon, and explain what relationship exists between the linear sequence of codons on mRNA and the linear sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide.
9. List the three stop codons and the one start codon.
10. Explain in what way the genetic code is redundant and unambiguous.
12. Explain the process of transcription including the three major steps of initiation, elongation, and termination.
13. Describe the general role of RNA polymerase in transcription.
14. Explain how RNA polymerase recognizes where transcription should begin.
15. Specifically, describe the primary functions of RNA polymerase II.
16. Distinguish among mRNA, tRNA, and rRNA.
17. Describe the structure of tRNA and explain how the structure is related to function.
18. Given a sequence of bases in DNA, predict the corresponding codons transcribed on mRNA and the corresponding anticodons of tRNA.
19. Describe the wobble effect.
20. Explain how an aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase matches a specific amino acid to its appropriate tRNA; describe the energy source that drives this endergonic process.
21. Describe the structure of a ribosome, and explain how this structure relates to function.
22. Describe the process of translation including initiation, elongation, and termination and explain what enzymes, protein factors, and energy sources are needed for each stage.
23. Explain what determines the primary structure of a protein and describe how a polypeptide must be modified before it becomes fully functional.
24. Describe what determines whether a ribosome will be free in the cytosol or attached to rough ER.
25. Explain how proteins can be targeted for specific sites within the cell.
26. Describe the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic mRNA.
27. Explain how eukaryotic mRNA is processed before it leaves the nucleus.
28. Describe some biological functions of introns and gene splicing.
29. Explain why base-pair insertions or deletions usually have a greater effect than base-pair substitutions.
30. Describe how mutagenesis can occur.