Molecular biologyLesson 1 of 1 in the course Molecular Biology

Transcription and Eukaryotic mRNA Processing

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 4 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

This lesson explains how genetic information flows from DNA to RNA and how cells transcribe DNA into messenger RNA (mRNA). Understanding transcription is important because mRNA carries the instructions that are later used to build proteins.

The central dogma describes the usual flow of genetic information in cells: DNA specifies RNA, and RNA specifies protein. More specifically, a gene provides the instructions for an mRNA sequence, which in turn helps determine the amino acid sequence of a protein.

All flashcards

What is the central dogma?
The usual flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein.
What is the DNA template strand?
The strand RNA polymerase reads to synthesize complementary RNA.
What does the 5′ cap do on eukaryotic pre-mRNA?
It helps protect the transcript and supports ribosome recognition and translation initiation.
What is the poly-A tail?
A sequence of adenine residues added to the 3′ end of eukaryotic pre-mRNA.
What happens during RNA splicing?
Introns are removed from pre-mRNA, and the remaining exons are joined.

Quiz questions

  1. In which order do the three main stages of transcription occur?Answer: Initiation, elongation, termination
  2. How does mRNA compare with the nontemplate DNA strand?Answer: It is nearly identical, with uracil replacing thymine.
  3. Why can a prokaryotic ribosome translate an mRNA while it is still being transcribed?Answer: Transcription and translation both occur in the cytoplasm.
  4. Which function is associated with the 5′ cap on eukaryotic pre-mRNA?Answer: It protects the transcript and supports translation initiation.
  5. What is characteristic of the poly-A tail added to eukaryotic pre-mRNA?Answer: About 200 adenine residues are added at the 3′ end.

Based on Concepts of Biology by Samantha Fowler, Rebecca Roush, James Wise (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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