DNA: Nucleic Acids and Protein Synthesis Unit
Need to Know List/Study Guide – Academic Biology
Keystone Eligible Content:
B121 Describe the process of DNA replication results in the transmission and/or conservation of genetic information.
B221 Describe how the processes of transcription and translation are similar in all organisms.
B222 Describe the role of ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and the nucleus in the production of
specific types of proteins.
1. DNA is the type of nucleic acid that permanently stores all of the instructions for building the cell’s protein.
2. DNA controls the cell by controlling the production of proteins, which carry out all of the work in the cell and
determine an organism’s traits.
a. Genes are pieces of DNA that control the production of a protein.
b. The shape of the DNA is a double helix.
c. DNA is made up of repeating building blocks called nucleotides.
d. A nucleotide is made up of 3 parts: phosphate, sugar, and bases.
e. The backbone of DNA is made up of deoxyribose sugar and phosphate.
f. The inside of the DNA molecule is made from bases.
i. Hydrogen bonds hold the bases together.
g. The four bases in DNA are Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine, and Guanine.
i. The bases of DNA always pair as A with T and C with G.
h. The information is stored in DNA as the order of the bases which is a code.
3. The process where DNA is copied is called DNA replication.
a. Replication occurs in the nucleus.
b. Helicase is the enzyme that “unzips” the DNA strands by breaking the hydrogen bonds between the
bases.
c. The name of the enzyme that carries out DNA replication is DNA polymerase.
4. RNA is another nucleic acid like DNA.
5. The three differences between DNA and RNA are:
a. RNA is single-stranded.
b. RNA has a different sugar (ribose).
c. RNA has Uracil instead of Thymine.
i. Messenger RNA (mRNA) carries the information stored in DNA to the cytoplasm.
ii. Transfer RNA (tRNA) brings amino acids to the ribosomes to build protein.
iii. Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) makes up the ribosome.
6. The central dogma of biology describes how genetic information is used in the cell.
7. Transcription is the process where an mRNA copy of DNA is produced.
a. Transcription occurs in the nucleus.
b. The name of enzyme that carries out transcription is RNA polymerase.
8. Translation is the process where a protein is built using the mRNA.
a. Translation occurs in the cytoplasm.
b. The ribosome is the name of the organelle that carries out translation (making proteins).
c. Groups of 3 bases of mRNA are called codons. Each codon codes for an amino acid.
d. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins.
DNA: Nucleic Acids and Protein Synthesis Unit
Need to Know List/Study Guide – Academic Biology
9. The genetic code is universal for all living things.
10. Proteins can be made in the ribosomes on the rough ER. They are then transferred to the golgi body for
packaging in a vesicle to be sent throughout or out of the cell.
Students should be able to:
1. Use a DNA molecule to diagram replication (see replication notes).
2. Use a DNA sequence to create mRNA.
3. Use an mRNA sequence to create an amino acid sequence using the genetic code.