By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Explain the process of DNA replication in prokaryotes
Discuss the role of different enzymes and proteins in supporting this process
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Describe the structure of DNA
Explain the Sanger method of DNA sequencing
Discuss the similarities and differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic DNA
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Explain transformation of DNA
Describe the key experiments that helped identify that DNA is the genetic material
State and explain Chargaff’s rules
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Describe how changes to gene expression can cause cancer
Explain how changes to gene expression at different levels can disrupt the cell cycle
Discuss how understanding regulation of gene expression can lead to better drug design
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Explain the process of epigenetic regulation
Describe how access to DNA is controlled by histone modification
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Understand RNA splicing and explain its role in regulating gene expression
Describe the importance of RNA stability in gene regulation
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Discuss the role of transcription factors in gene regulation
Explain how enhancers and repressors regulate gene expression
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Understand the process of translation and discuss its key factors
Describe how the initiation complex controls translation
Explain the different ways in which the post-translational control of gene expression takes place
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Describe the steps involved in prokaryotic gene regulation
Explain the roles of activators, inducers, and repressors in gene regulation
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Discuss why every cell does not express all of its genes
Describe how prokaryotic gene regulation occurs at the transcriptional level
Discuss how eukaryotic gene regulation occurs at the epigenetic, transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational, and post-translational levels
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
List the steps in eukaryotic transcription
Discuss the role of RNA polymerases in transcription
Compare and contrast the three RNA polymerases
Explain the significance of transcription factors
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
List the different steps in prokaryotic transcription
Discuss the role of promoters in prokaryotic transcription
Describe how and when transcription is terminated
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Describe the different steps in RNA processing
Understand the significance of exons, introns, and splicing
Explain how tRNAs and rRNAs are processed
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Describe the different steps in protein synthesis
Discuss the role of ribosomes in protein synthesis
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Explain the “central dogma” of protein synthesis
Describe the genetic code and how the nucleotide sequence prescribes the amino acid and the protein sequence
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Explain that meiosis and sexual reproduction are evolved traits
Identify variation among offspring as a potential evolutionary advantage to sexual reproduction
Describe the three different life-cycle types among sexual multicellular organisms and their commonalities