UNIT 8 MOLECULAR GENETICS
Module #1
Below is a diagram comparing RNA (on the left) and DNA.
1.What is the name of the monomer that makes up RNA?
2. List the 3 main differences between RNA and DNA.
3. In DNA, Adenine pairs with Thymine. However, in RNA Adenine
pairs with _______________.
4. In many cases, an RNA molecule is a working copy of a single
____________.
5. What is the function of RNA molecules?
Below is a diagram showing the different types of RNA.
6. What does the “m” in mRNA stand for? What is the function of
mRNA?
7. What does the “r” in rRNA stand for? What is the function of rRNA?
8. What does the “t” in tRNA stand for? What is the function of tRNA?
Below is an overview diagram of “protein synthesis”.
9. What does the term “protein synthesis” refer to?
10. What are the 2 processes called in protein synthesis?
11. Which gene is being “transcribed” (1, 2, or 3)?
12. The process of transcription takes the genetic code from DNA and
“transcribes” it into a strand of ______________.
13. The process of translation takes the genetic code from mRNA and
“translates” it into a ___________________ (and hence the name “protein synthesis”).
Below is an overview diagram of “transcription”.
14. In what part of the cell does this process occur (hint:
large purple structure in the diagram)?
15. What is the name of the enzyme involved in this
process?
16. What is formed from this process?
Below is a more detailed diagram of “transcription”.
17. What is the name of the strand of DNA being “transcribed”?
18. What is the 2 roles of RNA polymerase during transcription?
19. Is the whole strand of DNA being transcribed or just a portion of it?
20. What are the base pairing rules?
Guanine  ______________
Thymine (DNA)  ____________
(RNA)
Adenine (DNA)  ____________ (RNA)
Below is a diagram showing the process of “RNA editing”.
21. What are the non-coding segments of mRNA called?
Circle one in the diagram.
22. What are the coding segments of mRNA called? Circle
one in the diagram.
23. What happens to the introns during RNA editing?
Below is a diagram representing a protein.
24. Is a protein a “monomer” or a “polymer”?
25. What are the monomers called that form this polymer?
26. What is the specific name of a protein polymer (hint: it is
named after the bond type)?
Below is a diagram showing the different amino acids.
27. How many different amino acids are there on Earth?
28. The amino acids are recognized by an abbreviation.
How many letters make up the abbreviation? Give an
example.
29. What suffix (ending) do most of the amino acids end
with?
Below are two diagrams representing the “genetic code” and “codons”.
30. What does the term “genetic code” refer to?
31. The English alphabet consists of 26 letters. How many letters does the
genetic code consist of?
32. What are these letters?
33. How many letters make-up a “word” from the genetic code?
34. This sequence of 3 nitrogen bases (letters) is called a _________.
35. Each codon codes for one ________ ________ (hint: building block of
protein).
36. How many nitrogen bases would code for a protein that is 6 amino acids long?
Below are 2 different types of “codon chart”. They both consist of the same information just
presented in two different ways.
This chart is read from the inside  out.
UCC codes for the amino acid Serine
This chart reads by the position of the base
within the codon. UCC codes for Serine (ser)
37. Because there are 4 different bases, there are _____ possible three-base codons (__ x __ x__ =
64).
38. At first thought, this seems to be a paradox. There are 64 possible codons, however there are only
20 amino acids. What solves this paradox?
39. What is the “start” codon and what amino acid does it code for?
40. How many “stop” codons are there? What are their base sequences?
41. What amino acids do the following codons code for?
GCA = __________
GGU = __________
CCC = __________
AAG = __________
UCA = __________
Below is a diagram illustrating the process of “translation”.
42. Where, in the cell, does this occur?
43. What organelle is responsible for this process?
44. What are the 3 main players in this process?
45. What is the final product of this process?
Below is another diagram representing “translation”.
46. What are the tRNA molecules bringing to the ribosome?
47. What is at one end of the tRNA molecule that reads the genetic code
on the mRNA molecule?
48. The mRNA strand has a base sequence of GGC. What would the
anticodon base sequence be? What amino acid would it bring to the
growing polypeptide chain?
49. The mRNA strand has a base sequence of CCG. What amino acid
would the tRNA molecule that reads this code be bringing to the polypeptide chain?
50. In the diagram to the left, what would be the 4 amino acids that this
mRNA strand has coded for?
Below is a summary of the entire process of “protein synthesis”.
51. Label the following processes:
Transcription
RNA Editing
Translation
52. Label the following parts of Transcription:
Nucleus (Nuclear Pore)
DNA Template Strand
RNA Polymerase
mRNA
53. Label the following parts of RNA editing:
Introns
Exons
Cap and Tail
54. Label the following parts of Translation:
mRNA (Cap, Tail, Codon)
Ribosome
tRNA (Amino Acid and Anticodon)
Polypeptide Chain (Protein)
55. What is the significance of a “gene”? What is the significance of a “protein”?