genes, + amino acids (1 Viewer)

[oranGez]

hey guys, im really confused with something and hopefully u can help me out a bit =[ .. i dnt really understand the link between dna, genes, amino acids, nucleotides, codons, polypetptides etc.. do amino acids make up genes? or do bases make up genes?? arghh sorry if my question is confusing..i tried drawing a mind map linking them all but failed miserably.. help would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[nit]

the genetic material is DNA, and that is composed of nucleotide units, which in turn consist of a phosphate backbone, deoxyribose sugar units and the nitrogenous bases -the purines and pyrimidines - in a double-stranded form. This nuclear material codes for the production of proteins, which occurs in the cytoplasm. The link between DNA and proteins occurs in the form of 3 types of an alternate nucleic acid - the RNA. mRNA tranfers the DNA code as a result fo transcription into the cytoplasm to a ribosome where a tRNA molecule connects to it, thereby creating a polypeptide in the process of translation. The specificity of addition between tRNA and mRNA occurs as a result of the fact that mRNA consists of codons (groups of 3 nucleotide bases) and tRNA consists of the corresponding anticodons. tRNA also contains amino acids that correspond to an anticodon, and the addition of an amino acid to a growing polypeptide chain occurs by virtue of the enzyme peptidyl transferase.

Genes are basically lengths of DNA that code for the production of 1 polypeptide.

That's the processes of the central dogma summarised briefly. Any textbook would be able to help you further with this material - Campbell is decent, as is Knox.

 

[tennille]

Ahhhh...the usefulness of BIOL1001

 

[nit]

haha indeed. BIOL1001 was actually the most useful subject I did all semester. Though most of that marsupial, monotreme, El Nino, Olympic Park crap annoyed me. The central dogma lectures and Gillies' stuff was the best I'd say.

 

[tennille]

haha indeed. BIOL1001 was actually the most useful subject I did all semester. Though most of that marsupial, monotreme, El Nino, Olympic Park crap annoyed me. The central dogma lectures and Gillies' stuff was the best I'd say.

I agree. I enjoyed molecular biology but ecology was terrible.

 

[Atutor]

*DNA is made of nucleotides. It carries genetic information.
*Codon: Three adjacent nucleotides that specify a particular amino acid.
*A gene occupies a specific site on a chromosome. It is a sequence of DNA that directs the formation of a polypeptide chain. Therefore, a gene is not made of amino acids.
*A polypeptide is a chain of amino acids.

For more info, have a look at this website http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu/units/basics/tour/

 

[Survivor39]

hey guys, im really confused with something and hopefully u can help me out a bit =[ .. i dnt really understand the link between dna, genes, amino acids, nucleotides, codons, polypetptides etc.. do amino acids make up genes? or do bases make up genes?? arghh sorry if my question is confusing..i tried drawing a mind map linking them all but failed miserably.. help would be greatly appreciated!!!

I think nit explained it well, but too in-depth....

To put everything in context, rather than giving you a paragraph on the central dogma...here it is:

Genetic material = DNA
A small segment of DNA that code for something = gene
Nucleotide consisting of a phophate group, a sugar, and one of the four bases (A, T G, C) make up DNA
DNA/gene is transcribed onto mRNA to make a polypeptide, which is a chain of amino acids. The way this is done is 3 bases (recall either A, T G, C) code for ONE amino acid. For example, bases G C C codes for amino acid Alanine. This three bases form what is known as a codon.

Therefore, you now know the relationship between DNA ---> mRNA ----> polypeptide
Which is the central dogma of molecular biology.

I hope this helps.