PrinciplesofCellBiology,SecondEdition

Chapter 2: Nucleic Acids

Chapter Outline
1. The Big Picture
2. All of the Information Necessary for Cells to Respond to Their External
Environment Is Stored as DNA
a. A Cells DNA Is Inherited
i. Mutations in DNA Are Passed from Generation to
Generation
b. DNA Must Be Read to Be Useful
i. DNA Information Is Packaged into Units Called Genes
ii. Genes Are Transcribed into RNAs
iii. Messenger RNAs Are Translated into Proteins
iv. Mutations in DNA Give Rise to Variation in Proteins, Which Are
Acted Upon by Natural Selection
3. DNA Is Carefully Packaged inside Cells
a. DNA Is a Linear Polymer of Deoxyribonucleotides
i. A Single Strand of DNA Is Held Together by Phosphodiester
Bonds
b. DNA Forms a Double-Stranded Helix
i. DNA Can Be Supercoiled to Form at Least Three Different
Structures
4. DNA Packaging Is Hierarchical
a. DNA Is Bound to a Protein/RNA Scaffold
i. Double-Stranded DNA Is Wrapped Around Histone Proteins to
Form a Small Particle
ii. Nucleosome Structure Can Be Modified by Cells
iii. Chromatin Is Packaged into Highly Condensed
Chromosomes
b. Heterochromatin Is a Form of Tightly Packed DNA in Eukaryotic
Cells
i. Twisting DNA into Heterochromatin Requires Metabolic
Energy
ii. DNA Is Silenced in Heterochromatin
iii. Some Regions of Eukaryotic Chromosomes Are Always
Silenced
5. The Nucleus Carefully Protects a Eukaryotic Cells DNA
a. The Nuclear Pore Complex Restricts Access to the Interior of the
Nucleus
b. Nuclear Lamin Proteins Form a Protective Cage around the
Chromosomes

2016Jones&BartlettLearning,LLC
PrinciplesofCellBiology,SecondEdition

6. Chapter Summary

Chapter Summary and Essay Questions

Chapter 2 presents important information about nucleic acids that will be the backbone to
learn more detailed processes later in the book. The chapter begins with a discussion of
DNAshowing that it stores information to make RNA and proteins. The chemical
composition and structure of DNA and RNA is presented. The process whereby DNA is
packaged into genes is described. Mutations in DNA can cause the structure of RNA and
proteins to be altered. Point mutations in the hemoglobin protein and its relationship to
sickle cell anemia are used as an example. On completing the chapter, you should be able
to answer the following essay questions:

a. What are the four nucleotides that make up the structure of DNA?
b. How do the bases in DNA bind together?
c. What is the difference between the sugar ribose and deoxyribose?
d. What is different about the structure of RNA compared to DNA?
e. How do the terms antiparallel and complementary relate to the structure of DNA?
f. How are phoshodiester bonds different from hydrogen bonds?
g. Define a gene.
h. Define a mutation.
i. Are mutations always harmful?
j. Explain how mutations cause Sickle Cell Anemia.
k. How are exons different from introns?
j. How are codons different from anticodons?
l. How does DNA get packaged into a cell? Explain the role of specific histones
involved.
m. What is epigenetics?
n. Explain how methylation and acetylation of histones affects the expression of
genes.
o. What is the role of nuclear pores?

2016Jones&BartlettLearning,LLC