GENETICS 233 EXAM 1 REVIEW GUIDE

I will look at this review guide carefully when writing the exam, and I suspect that most of you will find this list of key ideas useful as well. It is not, however, a guanteed to be absolutely complete.   In addition, some important general knowledge, especially related to Bio125 topics we covered quickly, is not listed.

I. PROBLEM SOLVING (about half of the exam):

Perform basic dilution problems

Be familiar with all the assigned problems and be able to solve similar ones.

II. BIG IDEAS (about half of the exam):

For each big idea below, be able to DRAW a figure which

A). Demonstrates your understanding and also

B). Allows you to predict what might happen if the idea in question was experimentally tinkered with. For example, for experiments:

• what would happen if a given component ‘X’ were left out?, or
• if an altered component ‘Y’ were added? or
• How would you interpret the experiment if data the data instead showed “Z”?

BIG IDEAS:

1. Experiments that support the idea that DNA (not protein or RNA) is the genetic material

2. List at least two major differences between the structure of DNA and RNA and how this structure contributes to function.

3. Draw at least 3 base pairs of double stranded DNA, showing phosphates, sugars (similar to Fig 3.4a in your book)

4. Know the basic features of DNA structure, including the number of bases in a 360 degree turn, and the functions of the grooves, and the number of hydrogen bonds between bases, etc.

5. Show the concept of supercoiling, and how the cell uses it.

6. Draw picture of how a human cell can package 6 feet of double-stranded DNA into each cell.

7. The structure of telomeres and centromeres describe their cellular functions.

8. The problem with linear chromosomes and how telomerase works to overcome it

9. Know  the various parts of DNA.
10.  Be able to explain why new nucleic acids cannot be synthesized 3’ to 5’.

11. DRAW DNA replication at a replication fork, including all the key enzymes. Diagram the difference between leading and lagging strand synthesis. Explain the difference between how DNA polymerase gets its energy and how most other enzymes (e.g. ligase) do.

12. Describe at least two ways in which phage can/has been used experimentally.

13. The the methods of repair discussed in lecture.

14. The fluctuation test and what it means.

15. What a suppressor is. Provide an example of and intergenic suppressor and an extragenic suppressor.

16. Know different types of point mutations and be able to identify them if given a gene sequence and a copy of the genetic code table.

17. Understand Restriction enzymes, Hybridization and Plasmid, and libraries, as discussed

18. Explain how substitutions, insertions and deletions can all occur (spontaneously) during DNA replication.

19. How dideoxyDNA sequencing works.

20. How the Polymerase Chain Reaction works.

Explain how it can be used for forensic work .

EXTRA HINTS: FINE DISTINCTIONS TO BE COMFORTABLE WITH:

Nucleotide vs. Nucleoside

Ribose vs. Deoxyribose vs. Dideoxyribose

Mutation Rate vs. Mutation frequency

Neutral Mutation vs. Silent Mutation.

Transition vs. Transversion.