Molecular Basis of Inheritance — Flashcards
Maharashtra Board · Class 12 · Biology
28 flashcards for Molecular Basis of Inheritance (Maharashtra Board Class 12 Biology) to test yourself on key terms and facts.
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Who discovered nucleic acid and what did he initially call it?
Answer
Friedrich Miescher discovered nucleic acid in 1869 from white blood cell nuclei. He initially called it 'nuclein' due to its high phosphorus content and acidic properties. Later, it was renamed 'nucle…
Explain Griffith's transformation experiment and its significance.
Answer
Griffith (1928) used two strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae: virulent S-type (smooth, pathogenic) and non-virulent R-type (rough, non-pathogenic). He showed that heat-killed S bacteria mixed with liv…
What did Avery, McCarty and MacLeod prove about the transforming principle?
Answer
In 1944, they proved that DNA is the transforming principle by: 1) Treating cell extracts with different enzymes, 2) Showing that proteases and RNases didn't affect transformation, 3) Demonstrating th…
Describe the Hershey-Chase experiment and its conclusion.
Answer
Hershey and Chase (1952) used bacteriophages labeled with ³²P (DNA) and ³⁵S (protein). They showed that only ³²P entered bacteria during infection, while ³⁵S remained in viral coats. This definitively…
How is DNA packaged in prokaryotes?
Answer
In prokaryotes like E. coli: 1) Circular DNA (1100μm) is condensed to 350μm diameter, 2) Further folded into 40-50 domains/loops assisted by RNA connectors (30μm diameter), 3) Coiled and supercoiled w…
What is a nucleosome and describe its structure?
Answer
A nucleosome is the basic unit of chromatin consisting of: 1) Histone octamer core (2 each of H2A, H2B, H3, H4), 2) 146 bp of DNA wrapped 1.75 times around the octamer, 3) H1 histone binding at entry/…
Differentiate between heterochromatin and euchromatin.
Answer
Heterochromatin: Condensed, darkly staining, genetically inactive, near centromeres/telomeres, 2-3 times richer in DNA. Euchromatin: Non-condensed, lightly staining, genetically active, transcriptiona…
Define autocatalytic and heterocatalytic functions of DNA.
Answer
Autocatalytic function: DNA directing synthesis of DNA itself (replication). Heterocatalytic function: DNA directing synthesis of other molecules like RNA (transcription) and proteins (through transla…
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