State exam questions from Molecular Biology and Genetics (BSc Biological Chemistry). Complete topics can be found in the section "Study at the Faculty" website. Students are randomly picking three topics. Q1. Describe the molecular structure of the DNA molecule. With reference to the three originally proposed models of DNA replication, describe which model was experimentally proved to be true (and how); proceed to explain in detail how DNA replication occurs according to this model. Q2. How do ribosomes translate the information in mRNA sequences into proteins? Describe in detail the catalytic process in terms of initiation, elongation and termination phases. Highlight the main differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic translation initiation. Q3. In experimental molecular biology, what is a western blot and what is it used for? Describe the apparatus and principles behind western blotting. Q4. What are microRNAs (miRNAs) and how are they derived? What is the function of microRNAs in eukaryotic cells in relation to the probability that specific mRNAs will be translated? Are there any other mechanisms (naturally occurring or experimentally derived) that can regulated whether or not mature mRNAs will be translated? Q5. Describe the main differences between mature prokaryotic and eukaryotic mRNAs. How do the processes of eukaryotic and prokaryotic protein coding gene transcription initiation differ and how are they regulated (using terms such as operons and transcription factors)? Q6. In experimental molecular biology, what are Southern, northern and western blots and what are they used for? Taking each in turn, describe the apparatus and principles behind these three blotting techniques. Q7. Describe how the dideoxynucleotide trisphosphate (ddNTP) chain terminator DNA sequencing method developed by Fred Sanger works. How has his original method been developed, refined and improved up to the current day? Provide examples of large-scale experimental strategies or projects that rely on DNA sequencing and what they can achieve. Q8. Define the term 'DNA sequence mutation'. What different consequences can DNA mutations have if they occur within the protein coding regions of gene? Describe, with examples, how DNA mutations can arise in genomes; either spontaneously or by induced mechanisms. Q9. Describe the techniques that could be employed to detect and measure the levels of specific gene mRNAs, from a tissue/cell culture sample, providing experimental/ technical details and their advantages and disadvantages. Q10. mRNA stability is a critical regulator of gene expression. Describe the ways in which eukaryotic cells can regulate mRNA stability and how this relates to the probability of an mRNA being translated into a protein? Q11. Describe the methods by which the presence or absence of a particular protein can be detected in a biological sample? Give relevant technical details and explanations for each of the experimental steps. Q12. Identify classes of small non-coding RNAs found in eukaryotic cells. Provide examples of how specific small non-coding RNAs can regulate gene expression (providing relevant mechanistic details). Q13. In eukaryotic cells, what is chromatin. How can the structure of chromatin be modified and how can this regulate specific gene expression? Q14. What is the genetic code? How does a protein's amino acid sequence relate to a gene's DNA sequence? Describe the possible effects of DNA mutations with a genes protein coding region. Describe the experiments used to decipher the genetic code? Q15. What is the central dogma in molecular biology (describe each of the constituent parts/step in detail)? Q16. Describe the process of transcriptional initiation and termination in prokaryotes. How does this contrast with the situation in eukaryotes? Q17. Describe the various steps in eukaryotic mRNA processing and the reasons for these processing steps? ...
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