| What does 'DNA' stand for | Deoxyribonucleic acid |
| Define a histone | Histones are proteins that help package and organize DNA in the nucleus of a cell. They act like spools around which DNA is wound to form compact structures called nucleosomes, which can help regulate gene expression and protect DNA from damage. |
| Define a chromosome | A chromosome is a long, continuous strand of DNA that carries genetic information in the form of genes. |
| What is the function of DNA? | The primary function of DNA is to carry and transmit genetic information from one generation of cells or organisms to the next. |
| Define helicase and its role | Helicase is an enzyme that plays a critical role in DNA replication and repair. Its primary function is to unwind and separate the double-stranded DNA molecule into two separate strands, creating a replication fork. This is accomplished by breaking the hydrogen bonds between complementary nucleotide base pairs in the DNA molecule, allowing the strands to separate and be copied. |
| What is DNA polymerease? | DNA polymerase is an enzyme that plays a central role in DNA replication, the process by which cells copy their genetic material before cell division. DNA polymerase adds nucleotide building blocks to a growing chain of DNA in a specific sequence, using the existing DNA strand as a template. |
| What is the stucture of DNA? | DNA is a double helix structure composed of two long strands of nucleotides.
Each nucleotide is made up of a sugar molecule (deoxyribose), a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base (adenine, guanine, cytosine, or thymine).
The nucleotides are linked by covalent bonds between the sugar and phosphate groups, forming a sugar-phosphate backbone.
The nitrogenous bases form hydrogen bonds between complementary bases on the opposite strand, holding the two strands together. |
