Nucleotides & Nucleic Acids (OCR A Level Biology): Exam Questions

Fig. 16.1 shows the structure of ATP.

Fig. 16.1

(i) Name the circled component in Fig. 16.1.

 [1]

(ii) Name the type of reaction that occurs when ATP is converted to ADP.

 [1]

(iii) A teacher told his students that the human body makes the equivalent of its own mass in ATP every day.

Explain why, at the end of the day, only a small proportion of the students’ mass was ATP.

[2]

DNA can be obtained from a variety of plant and animal cells.

A group of students tried to purify some DNA from leek cells using the following method. They decided that exact volumes were not necessary.

(i) State the purpose of step 1.

[1]

(ii) Suggest why a protease enzyme added in step 3 is needed to purify DNA.

[1]

(iii) The students considered using pineapple juice as a source of protease enzyme.

Suggest why this would not be an appropriate source of protease when attempting to produce a pure sample of leek DNA.

[1]

(iv) State one important step that the students had left out of their method.

[1]

(v) Name the process described in step 6.

[1]

Fig.1 shows the structure of a small section of DNA in a cell during transcription.

Fig. 1

Identify the bases Q, R and S as indicated in Fig.1. Explain how you reached your answer.

(i) State the importance of hydrogen bonding in the structure of a DNA molecule.

[2]

(ii) A section of a DNA molecule contains 124 nucleotides.

Calculate the maximum number of hydrogen bonds that could be present in this section of DNA. Show your working.

[2]

ATP is the energy-carrying molecule which fuels chemical reactions within the cell.

Compare the structure of ATP with the structure of a DNA nucleotide.

Scientists analysed the nucleotide base sequence of a DNA molecule extracted from a human cheek cell. It was found that 29% of the nucleotides in this DNA molecule contained the nitrogenous base adenine.

Calculate the percentage of nucleotides that would contain the nitrogenous base cytosine.

Show your working.

The process of transcription is illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1

(i) Identify molecule X in Fig. 1 and describe its role during transcription.

[3]

(ii) Identify strand Y in Fig. 1 and state the significance of strand Y during transcription.

[2]

The table below contains a variety of statements that apply to different biological molecules. Identify which of the statements apply to DNA, messenger RNA and proteins by placing a tick (✓) in the box.

Describe the role of covalent bonds in linking nucleotides together to form a polynucleotide, such as DNA.

DNA replication is described as being 'semi-conservative'.

Explain what this means.

Explain how the structure of DNA facilitates semi-conservative replication of the molecule.

The new DNA molecules that form during semi-conservative replication are identical to each other.

Discuss the importance of this statement.

Describe the role of the ribosome in translation.

Fig. 1 shows the base sequence of a gene that codes for a short polypeptide, the RNA codons and the primary structure of this polypeptide.

Fig. 1

(i) Complete Fig. 1 to show the missing DNA triplet and the RNA codons.

[2]

(ii) State the full name of the type of RNA shown in Fig. 1.

[1]

The genetic code is universal across most forms of life.

Explain the importance of this statement.

Automated gene sequencing is an important technique for investigating base sequences.

Figure 1.1 shows part of the graph produced by an automated gene sequencing machine. The coding strand of DNA was analysed. Figure 1.1 shows the bases from base position 109 to 121 (left to right). Each base is labelled with a different coloured fluorescent dye. Some of the bases are identified and labelled above the corresponding peak.

Figure 1.1

Identify the sequence of bases from base position 109 to 114, using Figure 1.1.

Calculate the percentage of bases on both strands from base position 109 to 121 which are adenine. Give your answer to 1 decimal place. 

 Describe the two structural forms of DNA nitrogenous bases.

Interpret the sequence of amino acids from base position 109 to 114, using the key in Figure 1.2 below.

Figure 1.2

Meselson and Stahl were two scientists who investigated DNA replication during the 1950s. 

They grew E. coli bacteria in dishes containing culture media. 

Some bacteria were grown in a culture containing an isotope of nitrogen with a higher molecular weight (15N) than normal nitrogen (14N). 

The bacteria started incorporating the nitrogen isotopes from the culture media into their DNA. As the bacterial colonies grew, the DNA of bacteria grown in a 15N culture became denser than bacteria grown in a normal (14N) culture.

Some bacteria were first grown in the 15N culture and then transferred to the normal (14N) culture.

After letting the bacteria grow for several generations, the scientists extracted and centrifuged the DNA. During centrifugation, the heavier, denser molecules settled towards the bottom of the tube. Figure 2.1 shows some of their results.

Key:

A Bacteria grown in a ¹⁵N culture 

B Bacteria first grown in a ¹⁵N culture and then transferred to the normal (¹⁴N) culture

C Bacteria grown in a ¹⁴N culture

Figure 2.1

Some bacteria were first grown in the 15N culture and then transferred to the normal (14N) culture (tube B). They were left there with enough time to replicate once before the DNA was extracted. 

Suggest where a band would appear on this tube (B) in comparison to tubes A and C. 

Justify your answer to part (a). 

Explain how Meselson and Stahl’s experiment demonstrated the semi-conservative replication of DNA, concerning the results shown in Figure 2.1.

Figure 3.1 shows the hydrolysis reaction of ATP to release energy.

Figure 3.1

The amount of energy released from the hydrolysis of 1 mole of ATP in a living cell is 57 kJ.

Explain why ATP is described as the “universal energy currency”. 

Calculate the amount of free energy in kJ/mol released from the hydrolysis of 0.7 moles of ATP in a living cell. Give your answer to 1 decimal place. 

Compare and contrast the structures and functions of ATP and ADP. 

A DNA sequence coding for a specific protein was analysed. The base composition of the template strand is given in the table below.

Deduce the number of bases in the complementary mRNA strand. 

Calculate the percentage base composition of thymine in the DNA. Give your answer to 1 decimal place. 

mRNA provides a template for protein synthesis. Protein synthesis requires tRNA molecules.

Explain how tRNA is used in the translation stage of protein synthesis. 

State the first tRNA molecule that is used in protein synthesis.

Transcription is the first step of protein synthesis in cells.

Discuss the similarities and differences of the processes of transcription and DNA replication.