AS Biology quick help! :)

[trix]

Ok my teacher confused me very much today. We were talking about DNA making RNA and she first of all said that when polymerase unwinds the DNA the RNA attaches to the template strand and forms a complementary string of bases (ie. if the DNA was AGCTTAG the RNA would be UCGAAUC) and that the RNA is then the same as the coding strand.

This made sense and I understood it then later on she said the template and the coding strand were both identical which makes no sense. I asked for clarification but she warbled on and made even less sense.

Could someone (preferably a biology major or whatevs) give me a definitive answer on this?

Example question:

If the template was: TAGCCGAAT

Would the coding strand be : ATCGGCTTA ???

[IndigoSunset]

Yes, the template is complementary to the coding strand.
Though remember that A in the template goes to U in the coding, not T.

So your example, the coding would be: AUCGGCUUA

On a side note, a good way to remember how they pair up:
Chocolate Gateau(C to G)
Apple Tart(A to T)
And U are a Tart(U instead of T in RNA)

Hope that helps :)

[trix]

Thankyou!

In RNA it goes to U doesn't it, but if we're just chatting about DNA does the coding strand refer to the strand opposite the template strand? Or does the term coding strand refer only to the RNA that attaches to the template strand?
And in the case of talking solely about DNA would it not be A to T rather than U :D Cos it's still DNA not RNA.

Pssst...o_O how did you know I was a tart? I am so obvious.

[IndigoSunset]

The term coding strand is usually only used in RNA as far as I'm aware. Though I can't recall what the DNA equiv would be, it would function in the same way in this regards.

Yes, in DNA it's A to T still.

(Oh and yeah, everyone that kept Biology into VI Form is a tart, didn't you know? :P)

[trix]

Yaaay thank you for clearing that up. I am all sorted now.

Come teach me Bio instead of my current teacher? Also, gonna tell all my friends they are tarts tomorrow.

[IndigoSunset]

No worries, happy to help :)

And yeah, my Biology teacher was pretty dire so we pretty much had to teach ourselves :s
(Also, good, the world must be informed of their tartyness! :P)

[trix]

unfff i've been really wanting to +rep you for this for ages but apparently i had to spread my rep around first. will do it first thing tomorrow if possible :)