630 Microbiology forTeachers

Principles of Molecular Biology

Definitions

• Macromolecules
  • large molecules

     

  • examples include
    • nucleic acids

     

    • DNA

     

     

    • RNA

     

     

    • proteins

     

     

     

    • polysaccharides

     

     

    • lipids ... two major types

     

     

  • large molecules problem set website ... test your understanding!

     

  • macromolecules are the building blocks of cells
    • DNA in cells

     

• Genetics
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• Central dogma
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Replication

Replication is the duplication of informational molecules ... in this case DNA

• Strand separation
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• Single-strand maintenance
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• Primer formation
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• Base pairing
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• Polymerization
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• Primer removal
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• Ligation
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• Proofreading
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• Double-strand formation
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This mode of replication is referred to as semi-conservative

Transcription

Transription is the generation of an mRNA copy of the genetic information coded in the DNA

• Strand separation
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• Promoter recognition
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• Base-pairing
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• Polymerization
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• Termination
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Translation

Translation is the mRNA-mediated process by which proteins are generated based on amino acid sequence information coded in the DNA

• Initiation
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• Elongation
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• Termination-release
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• Folding
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