Transcription: From DNA toRNA
1. Define a gene.
2. How does RNA differ from DNA?
3. Briefly describe the process of transcription.
4. Describe the process of transcription as it occurs inprokaryotes.
5. What is the role of the promoter?
6. Describe the process of transcription as it occurs ineukaryotes.
7. What is the role of the transcription factors? A mutationexists in transcription factors that causes them to bind slightlydownstream of the TATA box, causing them to cover the first 3nucleotides of a gene. RNA polymerase can still transcribe the geneto mRNA, but it misses the first 3 nucleotides. How would thisimpact translation?
8. What is the role of kinase and phosphatase in eukaryotictranscription?
9. How does RNA polymerase know which strand of the DNA totranscribe? What would happen if it chose the wrong strand?
10. Why does translation in prokaryotes begin beforetranscription is complete?
11. What must occur in eukaryotes before translation canbegin?
12. How are the ends of the mRNA modified in eukaryotes?
13. What are introns and exons?
14. Describe the process of RNA splicing.
15. What is the role of alternative splicing in evolution?
16. Compare and contrast transcription in prokaryotes andeukaryotes.
