Contains notes from vce biology unit 3 aos 1, using the study design dot points: The relationship between nucleic acids and proteins • nucleic acids as information molecules that encode instructions for the synthesis of proteins: the structure of DNA, the three main forms of RNA (mRNA, rRNA and tRNA) and a comparison of their respective nucleotides • the genetic code as a universal triplet code that is degenerate and the steps in gene expression, including transcription, RNA processing in eukaryotic cells and translation by ribosomes • the structure of genes: exons, introns and promoter and operator regions • the basic elements of gene regulation: prokaryotic trp operon as a simplified example of a regulatory process • amino acids as the monomers of a polypeptide chain and the resultant hierarchical levels of structure that give rise to a functional protein • proteins as a diverse group of molecules that collectively make an organism’s proteome, including enzymes as catalysts in biochemical pathways • the role of rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus and associated vesicles in the export of proteins from a cell via the protein secretory pathway
DNA manipulation techniques and applications • the use of enzymes to manipulate DNA, including polymerase to synthesise DNA, ligase to join DNA and endonucleases to cut DNA • the function of CRISPR-Cas9 in bacteria and the application of this function in editing an organism’s genome • amplification of DNA using polymerase chain reaction and the use of gel electrophoresis in sorting DNA fragments, including the interpretation of gel runs for DNA profiling • the use of recombinant plasmids as vectors to transform bacterial cells as demonstrated by the production of human insulin • the use of genetically modified and transgenic organisms in agriculture to increase crop productivity and to provide resistance to disease.
