Nucleic acids and protein synthesis

In this chapter, you will learn to:

• Describe the structure of nucleotides, including that of ATP.

• Briefly outline the structures of the nitrogenous bases found in DNA and RNA: adenine, guanine, thymine, cytosine, and uracil.

• Explain the structure of DNA.

• Describe the structure of RNA, using messenger RNA (mRNA) as an example.

• Describe the process of semi-conservative DNA replication.

• Explain how the sequence of nucleotides in DNA (a gene) determines the sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide.

• Describe the universal genetic code, where DNA bases specify amino acids as well as start and stop signals.

• Explain the roles of DNA and RNA during transcription and translation in protein synthesis.

• Describe RNA processing after transcription, including the roles of introns and exons.

• Explain the nature, types, and consequences of gene mutations.