NAME: Daniela U

BSQ/IB Diploma HL Year 12

DNA, RNA, PROTEIN SYNTHESIS

Write your name at the top of this page. Answer all the questions. The questions carry 51 marks. An additional 1 mark is available for presentation and organisation of answers. Grading is as follows: Question Max Total 52/51/50/49/48/47 7 1 17 46/45/44/43/42/41/40 6 2 9 39/38/37/36/35/34/33 5 3 6 32/31/30/29/28/27/26/25 4 4 4 24/23/22/21/20/19/18 3 5 4 17/16/15/14/13/12/11 2 6 4 10/9/8/7/6/5/4/3/2/1/0 1 7 6 8 1 + 1 52

March 2014

The British School Quito Diploma Biology

(1) It had always been assumed that eukaryotic genes were similar in organization to prokaryotic

genes. However, modern techniques of molecular analysis indicated that there are additional DNA sequences that lie within the coding region of genes. Exons are the DNA sequences that code for proteins while introns are the intervening sequences that have to be removed. The graph shows the number of exons found in genes for three different groups of eukaryotes.
Percentage of genes 100 80 60 40 20 0 40 30 20 10 0 20 15 10 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 <30<40<60>60 Number of exons Mammals Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) Saccharomyces cerevisiae (a yeast)

[Source: Benjamin Lewin, (1999) Genes VII, OUP, page 55]

(a)

Calculate the percentage of genes that have five or less exons in mammals. 47%
(1)

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(b)

Describe the distribution of the number of exons and the percentage of genes in D. Melanogaster.
There is a great increase from around 17% to 32% between one and two exons. It decreases back and as the number of exons increases there is a percentage decrease and an increase but in Lower percentages.

(2)

(c)

(i)

Compare the distributions of the number of exons found in genes of S. Cerevisiae and mammals. Mammals have more exons than S.Cerevisiae and it goes just up to 4 exons. The percentage is greater for mammals there is a maximum of approximately 16% and the S.Cerevisiae goes up to 98%
(2)

(ii)

Suggest one reason for the differences in the numbers of exons found in genes of S. Cerevisiae and mammals. A reason can be that mammals are more evolved and they have developed more things than the S.Cerevisiae.
(1)

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Human DNA has been analysed and details of certain genes are shown in the table below. Gene Insulin Collagen Albumin Phenylalanine hydroxylase Dystrophin *kilobase pairs
[Source: William S

Gene size / kb* 1.7 38.0 25.0 90.0 2 000.0

mRNA size / kb 0.4 5.0 2.1 2.4 17.0

Number of introns 2 50 14 12 50

Klug and Michael R Cummings, (2002), Concepts of Genetics, 7th edition, Prentice Hall, page 314]

(d)

Calculate the average size of the introns for the albumin gene.
25/14= 1.8 (2)

(e)

Analyse the relationship between gene size and the number of introns. Except for collagen as the gene size increases the number of intro also increases.
(2)

(f)

Determine the maximum number of amino acids that could be produced by translating the phenylalanine hydroxylase mRNA. 12
(1)

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Hemoglobin is a protein composed of two pairs of globin molecules. During the process of development from conception to adulthood, human - 5 -aemoglobin changes in composition. Adult - 5 -aemoglobin consists of two alpha- and two beta-globin molecules. Two globin genes occur on chromosome 16: alpha- and zeta-globin. Four other globin genes are found on chromosome 11: beta, delta, epsilon and gamma. The graph below illustrates the changes in expression of the globin genes over time.

50 40 Percentage of hemoglobin 30 20 10 0 10 20 30 weeks of gestation 40 birth 2 6 4 month of age Key: alpha-globin gamma-globin beta-globin delta-globin epsilon-globin zeta-globin

[Source: adapted from M Cummings, Human Heredity, 4th edition, West/Wadsworth Publishing Company]

(g)

State which globin genes are the first to be expressed after fertilization. Delta-globin and epsilon-globin
(1)

(h)

Compare the expression of the gamma-globin gene with the beta-globin gene. In week 10 of gestation beta-globin started to go up and gamma globin started to go down. They cross eachother around 3 and a half months of age but one of them is coming down and the other one increases slightly.
(3)

(i)

Deduce the composition of the - 5 -aemoglobin molecules at 10 weeks of gestation;

2 months after birth.

(2) (Total 17 marks)

2.

(a)

State two differences between the structure of DNA and RNA. 1. DNA is a double strand molecule with a long chain of nucleotides. RNA is a single strand with the shorter chain of nucleotides.

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2.

DNA is a Medium of long-term storage and transition of genetic information and RNA Transfer the genetic code needed for the creation of proteins from the nucleus to the ribosome.
(2)

The diagram below shows the structure of a ribosome during protein synthesis.
II polypeptide

III

IV

(b)

State the names of the structures labelled above. I. II. III. IV. Small subunit Large subunit tRNA mRNA
(2)

(c)

State the name of a structure shown on the diagram that has an anticodon.
tRNA (1)

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(d)

Explain why the process used during protein synthesis in cells is called translation. Because the information that is being carried in the mRNA is decoded into a protein.
(2)

(e)

Explain briefly how termination of translation occurs. It carries on going until it reaches the stop codon. The specific complimentary anticodons are slot into place and held by the temporary by the H-bonds. Then once it reaches the stop codon the tRNA is reused.
(2) (Total 9 marks)

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3.

The information needed to make polypeptides is carried in the mRNA from the nucleus to the ribosomes of eukaryotic cells. This information is decoded during translation. The diagram below represents the process of translation.

(a)

Annotate the diagram to show the direction in which the ribosome moves during translation.
(1)

(b)

State the name of the next amino acid which will attach to the polypeptide. Alanine
(1)

(c)

Explain how the amino acid was attached to the tRNA.

The tRNA contains an specific site for the amino acid to join. (3)

(d)

Identify two locations within a eukaryotic cell where translation occurs. Cytoplasm Ribosome
(1)

(Total 6 marks)

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4.

The complex structure of proteins can be explained in terms of four levels of structure, primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary. (a) Primary structure involves the sequence of amino acids that are bonded together to form a polypeptide. State the name of the linkage that bonds the amino acids together. Peptide bond.
(1)

(b)

Beta pleated sheets are an example of secondary structure. State one other example. Alpha Helix
(1)

(c)

Outline the quaternary structure of proteins. Consists of two or more proteins held together that form a more complex, biological active molecule
(2) (Total 4 marks)

5.

(a)

Determine the strand of mRNA that is transcribed from the DNA strand below. ATCCAGGTCAAG

T-A-G-G-T-C-C-A-G-T-T-C
(1)

(b)

List three of the other molecules, apart from mRNA, required for transcription.

Helicase RNA polymerase Stop codon

(3) (Total 4 marks)

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6.

Outline the role of condensation and hydrolysis in the relationship between amino acids and dipeptides. Condensation is when two amino acids are joined to from a dipeptide. Hydrolysis breaks apart the dipeptides and makes two amino acids. There reactions are possible by the enzymes that work and they occur in water using the covalent bonds breaking or forming them.
(Total 4 marks)

7.

The following diagram represents replication in DNA.

[Freeman, Scott, Biological Science, 1st, 2002. Electronically reproduced by permission of Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey]

(a)

State the name and describe the function for the enzymes labelled A and B on the diagram. (i) A: Name: Function: DNA polymerase Catalyses the nucleotides bonding to the strand.

(ii)

B:

Name: Function:

Helicase Unwinds the helix breaking the H-bonds.

(2)

(b)

Identify the cellular location of DNA replication in eukaryotic cells. Nucleus

(1)

(c)

State at which period during the cell cycle DNA replication occurs. It occurs in the S phase, which is the synthesis of DNA.

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(d)

Explain the significance of complementary base pairing during DNA replication. They will be the exact same result and it will always be like that unless there is a mutation.

(2) (Total 6 marks) y

8.

Give the image below a title.

Title: Central Dogma (Total 1 mark)

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