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Scientists studying the nucleus of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster observed distinct types of nucleic acid chains - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 7 - 2014 - Paper 1
Question 7
Scientists studying the nucleus of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster observed distinct types of nucleic acid chains. These scientists noticed that one type of n... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Scientists studying the nucleus of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster observed distinct types of nucleic acid chains - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 7 - 2014 - Paper 1
Step 1
Describe the steps occurring at the ribosome that resulted in the production of the polymer.
Answer
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The ribosome binds to the mRNA, which contains the genetic code for the polymer.
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Transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules, each carrying a specific amino acid, bring these amino acids to the ribosome.
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The tRNA's anticodon pairs with the complementary codon on the mRNA strand, ensuring that the correct amino acid is added.
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As the ribosome moves along the mRNA, each new amino acid is linked to the existing chain through peptide bonds, resulting in the elongation of the polypeptide chain.
Step 2
How many nucleotide bases on the nucleic acid chain were involved in the coding for this polymer? Explain your response.
Answer
A polymer that is 90 monomers long would require 90 amino acids. Since each amino acid is coded for by a set of three nucleotide bases (codons), the total number of nucleotide bases involved would be:
Thus, 270 nucleotide bases on the nucleic acid chain were involved in the coding for this polymer.