Chapter 5: Essential Cell Biology Flashcards 2023

Genes are: - -the info carrying elements that determine the characteristics of a species as a whole and of the individuals within it -Important discovery in the 1940's: - -1) simple fungi contain genetic information consisting primarily of instructions for making proteins 2) DNA is the carrier of the cell's genetic information -Protein function: - -1) serve as building blocks for cell structures 2) form enzymes that catalyze the cell's chemical reactions 3) regulate the activity of genes 4) enable cells to move and communicate with each other -How proteins might be specified by DNA remained a mystery until: - -1953, when the structure was determined by James Watson and Francis Crick -The protein portion of chromosomes does what? - -Packages and controls long DNA molecules