Study Guide for DNA/Cell Cycle Test
- Be able to describe the three differences between DNA and RNA in your own words
- Be able to identify and write the name of each step of the cell cycle (mitosis and interphase) in order and identify when the following events occur:
· DNA condenses
· DNA replication occurs
· Cytokenesis occurs in animal cells
· The cell divides into two smaller cells
· Proteins needed for mitosis are synthesized
· Nuclear envelope dissolves
· Mitotic spindle forms
· Centriole is copied to make 2 centrioles
· Chromosomes are lined up along the middle of the cell
· Sister chromatids are pulled to opposite sides of the cell
· Cell plate forms in plant cells
· New organelles are manufactured and the cell grows
- If you have a DNA sample that is 3500 base pairs long and 15% of the nucleotides contain thymine, then how many nucleotides contain adenine? Cytosine? Guanine?
- What molecules make up the DNA backbone? What type of bond connects nucleotides together here?
- How are two complementary strands of DNA held together?
- Why do cells enter G0? What are they doing at this time? Is their DNA condensed? Are there one or two copies of each chromosome?
- What is the mitotic spindle? When does it form? What is the role of the spindle fibers during mitosis? What is the role of the centrioles?
- What is the difference between DNA, chromatin, chromosomes, and chromatids?
- Be able to look at pictures of cells and identify whether they are in interphase or mitosis, and if they are in interphase, which step. Google pictures of cells on the internet to practice.
- What are the major check points during the cell cycle? What does each check for?
- Why is DNA negatively charged?
- How many chromosomes do humans have? Be able to look at a karyotype and figure out if it is from a human, a male, a female, and has the correct number of chromosomes or if nondisjunction has occurred.
- Are human cells haploid, diploid, monoploid, polyploid? What about human sex cells (gametes)?
- What happens to each original strand of a double stranded DNA during DNA replication? Why is this process said to be “semiconservative”?
- What is apoptosis?
- What are the steps of DNA replication of the leading strand? What is the lagging strand and why is it necessary to have a lagging strand? What is the role of topoisomerase, helicase, primase, DNA polymerase, and ligase in DNA replication?
- What are Okazaki fragments and how are they connected together?
- What is wrong with the picture at right? (Hint: does DNA polymerase belong there? If not, what should this be?)