Campbell Biology, Books a la Carte Plus Mastering Biology with eText -- Access Card Package (10th Edition)
Campbell Biology, Books a la Carte Plus Mastering Biology with eText -- Access Card Package (10th Edition)
10th Edition
ISBN: 9780133922851
Author: Jane B. Reece, Lisa A. Urry, Michael L. Cain, Steven A. Wasserman, Peter V. Minorsky, Robert B. Jackson
Publisher: PEARSON
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Chapter 17, Problem 10TYU
Summary Introduction

To propose: An evolutionary explanation for the statement that most amino acids are coded by a similar set of codons.

Concept introduction:

The genetic information of DNA is based on the nucleotide base sequences. These sequences are transcribed into mRNA triplets and are called codons. Genetic code has 64 codons; thus, codon is a basic unit of the genetic code. Three codons are stop codons. There are 61 codons that code for 20 amino acids. The redundancy of a genetic code accounts for this.

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. The genetic code is thought to have evolved to maximize genetic stability by minimizing the effect on protein function of most substitution muta- tions (single-base changes). We will use the six arginine codons to test this idea. Consider all of the substitutions that could affect all of the six arginine codons. (a) How many total mutations are possible? (b) How many of these mutations are "silent," in the sense that the mutant codon is changed to another Arg codon? (c) How many of these mutations are conservative, in the sense that an Arg codon is changed to a functionally similar Lys codon?
Taking start and stop codon into consideration, if we have an mRNA sequence with 30 nucleotides, how many amino acids would be found in the resulting polypeptide (protein chain)? Why?
SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY Knowing that the genetic code is almostuniversal, a scientist uses molecular biological methods toinsert the human β-globin gene (shown in Figure 17.12) intobacterial cells, hoping the cells will express it and synthesizefunctional β-globin protein. Instead, the protein produced isnonfunctional and is found to contain many fewer amino acidsthan does β-globin made by a eukaryotic cell. Explain why

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Campbell Biology, Books a la Carte Plus Mastering Biology with eText -- Access Card Package (10th Edition)

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