Bobby Haidar

Assignment Questions
1. Each new DNA molecule consists of two strands. The nucleotide sequence contains the
information found in DNA. The nucleotides connect the two strands through hydrogen bonds.
Each nucleotide has a unique comlimentary nucleotide whereas each strand contains all the
information required to synthesi!e a new DNA molecule. The double stranded structure also
ma"es the molecule more stable.
#. $irstly% the rocess of DNA relication begins with the searation of the two strands of the
double heli& using en!ymes. The en!yme in charge of this is called a helicase which unwinds
the heli&. The oint where the double heli& is oened u and the DNA is coied is called a
relication for". 'nce the strands are searated% the DNA olymerase en!yme coies each
strand using the base airing rule and two molecules are created. Each one has one new and one
old DNA strand called semiconser(ati(e.
). The DNA needs to un!i because the DNA*binding roteins must be able to bind roerly to
the DNA in order to roceed with relication. The roteins bind to secific sequences. +f those
sequences cannot be recogni!ed% then the roteins do not bind.
,. En!ymes are biological catalysts or assistants. En!ymes consist of (arious tyes of roteins that
wor" to dri(e the chemical reaction required for a secific action or nutrient. En!ymes can
either launch a reaction or seed it u. The chemicals that are transformed with the hel of
en!ymes are called substrates. +n the absence of en!ymes% these chemicals are called reactants.
-. En!ymes slit the DNA molecule into two rails and then transort the corresonding nitrogen
bases to each rail. +n addition% to searate the DNA and to hel unwind the molecule. The
en!yme helicase brea"s hydrogen bonds between the comlementary bases and the chains
searate.

.. Each new strand is synthesised in the -/ to )/ direction because DNA olymerase can only add a
new nucleotide onto the )/ end of an e&isting strand. This is because the )/ end has a hydro&yl
grou 0*'H1 which can form a hoshodiester bond with the -/ end of the ne&t nucleotide on the
chain. -/ to )/ synthesis is useful for roofreading% because if a mista"e occurs in the new
strand% the most recently added nucleotide can be remo(ed to regenerate the )/ end on the
strand. +f synthesis occurred in the oosite direction% remo(al of the last base would lea(e a
bare -/ end causing DNA synthesis to come to a halt.
2. Sense strand3 4trand of DNA running from -/ to )/ comlementing the anti*sense strand% and
transcribed into m5NA
Anti-sense strand3 4trand of DNA running from )/ to -/ comlementing the sense strand% and is
not transcribed into m5NA.
Anti-parallel3 the oosite orientations of the two strands of a DNA double heli&6 the -/ end of
one strand aligns with the )/ end of the other strand.


Bobby Haidar
7. The roduction of the comlementary strand is called semiconser(ati(e relication. +t guides its
own relication by unra(eling itself. Each strand acts as a temlate and the comlementary
deo&yribonucleotides are added on to the arent strands to form two new DNA molecules from
a single arent molecule. Each new molecule has one arent strand and one new strand.
8. DNA relication occurs during the synthesis stage during the cell cycle.
19. a1 DNA roofreading corrects errors during relication. A DNA olymerase en!yme identifies
and e&cises mismatched bases% lea(ing the end free to accet the correct nucleotide instead%
thereby restoring the correct comlementary base sequence.

19. b1 :roofreading occurs after DNA relication in order to a(oid roducing genes that would
encode for incorrect roteins. There are se(eral mechanisms by which DNA roofreads its
sequence6 mostly secific roteins and such that search for errors.