You are on page 1of 6

Ziegler H Bio Name______________________________________ Date_________________________ Period_____

Chapter 9: Gene Expression


Reading Guide and Focus Questions PART 1: INTRODUCTION TO GENE EXPRESSION
Chapter 1.10 - DNA vs. RNA Yes, this says Chapter 1. It is not a mistake. Read p.41-42 and look at Figures 1.24 and 1.28. Use this information to compare/contrast the following features of DNA and RNA: sugar, bases, structure/shape of the molecule. Chapter 1.12 The Function of DNA What are genes? What are codons? For what do they code? What does the sequence of nucleotides in DNA determine? Why is this so important for the function of proteins in a cell? Chapter 9 Intro (p.233) What is gene expression? What do genes actually control? If all of your cells have the same set of chromosomes (same genes), what makes a skin cell look and act so different than a muscle cell (for example)? Chapter 9.1 (p.234 ONLY) What do our cells use DNA for? What does RNA have to do with the activation of a gene? What is transcription (also called RNA synthesis)? Does it take place in the nucleus or the cytoplasm? (see Figure 9.1 in your book AND Figure 1 below) What is translation (also called protein synthesis)? Does it take place in the nucleus or the cytoplasm? There are three important types of RNA involved in gene expression. Use the information on p.234 AND the information in Figure 9.9 (p.241) to determine the full names and functions of mRNA, rRNA, and tRNA.

Ziegler H Bio

PART 2: MAKING RNA


CHAPTER 9.3: Transcription (RNA Synthesis) What is the name of the enzyme that builds the mRNA molecule? How does the enzyme know what nucleotides to add to the new mRNA molecule? If a gene has the DNA sequence A A G C T G, what will the sequence of the complementary mRNA molecule be? Transcription is broken down into three stages: INITIATION, ELONGATION, and TERMINATION. Divide your notes into these three stages. INITIATION o What happens during initiation? o What is the promoter? Where is it located? (The image below might help you.)

o In our cells (eukaryotic cells), what factors tell RNA Polymerase to attach to the promoter sequence of the DNA? ELONGATION o Does RNA Polymerase need Helicase to unwind the DNA, like DNA Polymerase did? o What is being elongated during this stage of transcription? TERMINATION o How does RNA Polymerase know to stop transcribing the DNA? o When done, what happens to the RNA Polymerase and the mRNA? ONLINE ANIMATIONS THAT MAY HELP YOU: WEBSITE 1: http://www.stolaf.edu/people/giannini/flashanimat/molgenetics/transcription.swf (Ignore the virus warning.) WEBSITE 2: http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/anthropology/stein2003/stein.html Under Chapter 2, select the link entitled Protein Synthesis: Transcription. (Requires RealPlayer)

CHAPTER 9.4: RNA Processing How long can mRNA last in the cytoplasm? Where in the cell does RNA processing happen? What is the 5 cap made of? What is the 3 PolyA tail made of? What are the functions of the 5 cap (2 functions) and the 3 PolyA tail (2 functions)? Aside from putting a cap and tail on the mRNA, the mRNA also goes through splicing. Read the paragraph on p.245 about introns, exons, and splicing. Then, go to the following online tutorial and be sure you can answer the questions on the next page:

Ziegler H Bio WEBSITE: http://highered.mcgrawhill.com/sites/0072437316/student_view0/chapter15/animations.html# Select How Spliceosomes Process RNA What are introns? What are exons? What is RNA splicing? What are snRNPs? (Referred to by the bio community as Snurps) What two types of organic macromolecules are they made of? o What is a spliceosome? How does it get rid of the introns? o o o o *You should be able to answer the Check and Challenge questions on p.247.*

PART 3: MAKING PROTEINS


CHAPTER 9.1: p.236, second paragraph. Also look at Figure 9.3 carefully. What is a codon? What molecules have codons? What is an anticodon? What type of RNA has anticodons? How does an anticodon know which codon to match up with? In terms of making a new protein, what does one codon specify? CHAPTER 9.5 + Websites (see below): Translation (Protein Synthesis) Review o What type of organic macromolecule is a polypeptide carb, lipid, protein, or nucleic acid? o What organelle translates RNA into protein? o Ribosomes are made of protein and __? o Where in a eukaryotic cell does translation take place? Translation is one language being translated into another language. In gene expression, what language is being read, and into what language is it being translated? Complete the sentence: If there are 20 unique amino acids, there must be at least ? unique tRNA molecules. On the picture to the left, label the amino acid, the entire tRNA, and the anticodon. Complete the sentence: The sequence of codons on the mRNA dictates the sequence of _?_ in a protein.

On the picture of a ribosome to the left, label the small subunit, large subunit, and the E, P, and A sites of the ribosome. Ignore the 30S and 50S notation. This is a chemists way of indicating size. 3

Ziegler H Bio

BEFORE TAKING ANY MORE NOTES, READ THIS: Translation is a very dynamic process with a lot of molecules moving around. I highly recommend watching one of the animations below WITHOUT taking any notes. Then, use the animations and Chapter 9.5 to take notes. YOU WILL NEED TO CONSULT THE WEBSITES FOR SOME INFO THAT IS LACKING IN YOUR BOOK, AND VICE VERSE. ONLINE TUTORIALS WEBSITE 1: http://highered.mcgrawhill.com/sites/0072437316/student_view0/chapter15/animations.html Select the link entitled Protein Synthesis. WEBSITE 2 (for another view, if needed): http://www.stolaf.edu/people/giannini/flashanimat/molgenetics/translation.swf Ignore the virus prompt. The following websites are OPTIONAL. I added them just in case the others do not work on your computer. WEBSITE 3: http://vcell.ndsu.edu/animations/translation/index.htm Select the Windows Media/The Movie option (far right) WEBSITE 4: http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/anthropology/stein2003/stein.html Under Chapter 2, select the link entitled Protein Synthesis: Translation. (This site requires RealPlayer)

Just like with transcription, translation is broken down into three stages: INITIATION, ELONGATION, and TERMINATION. Divide your notes into these three stages. INITATION o Key terms: small ribosomal subunit, large ribosomal subunit, P site, tRNA, start codon, methionine (met) o Refer to Figure 9.16 in your book and/or to the figure to the left. o What is the 3-base sequence of the start codon? o What anticodon sequence on the tRNA molecule always binds to the start codon?

Ziegler H Bio o o o o Which ribosomal subunit binds to the mRNA first (you need the website for this)? Which binds to the mRNA first: the first tRNA or the large ribosomal subunit (website needed)? In which site does the first tRNA bind: E, P, or A? Which amino acid is always the first one added to every protein?

ELONGATION o Key terms: A site, P site, E site, tRNA, peptide bond, amino acid, polypeptide o Refer to Figure 9.17 in your book and/or to the Figure below. o In what site of the ribosome does the new tRNA enter: E, P, or A? o What bond is formed to hold the two amino acids together? o Once the peptide bond links the amino acids together, the tRNA in which ribosomal site holds the growing polypeptide: E, P, or A? o As the ribosome moves down by one codon, what moves into the Esite? o What moves into the P-site? o What enters the newly empty Asite? o As the protein is being built, the elongating protein is constantly moved to the tRNA in which site of the ribosome: E, P, or A? o o o TERMINATION Key terms: stop codon, A site, release factor, free polypeptide Refer to the Figure below. What are the sequences of the three stop codons? o What site of the ribosome does the stop codon enter: E, P, or A?

o Why doesnt a tRNA bind to the stop codon? 5

Ziegler H Bio o What is a release factor? o Where in the ribosome does the release factor bind: E, P, or A site? o Once translation has terminated, what happens to all of the molecules (animation needed)? o Based on your knowledge about the stability of RNA, what ultimately happens to the mRNA?

You might also like