What is the central dogma of molecular biology?
Q: What is the central dogma of molecular biology?
A: The central dogma of molecular biology is a phrase by Francis Crick, which states that information passes from DNA to proteins via RNA, but proteins cannot pass the information back to DNA.
Q: When was it first written?
A: The central dogma was first written by Francis Crick in 1958 and repeated in 1970.
Q: What does the dogma provide a framework for understanding?
A: The central dogma provides a framework for understanding the transfer of sequence information between biopolymers such as DNA, RNA, and protein.
Q: How many direct transfers of information can occur between these biopolymers?
A: There are 3×3 = 9 conceivable direct transfers of information that can occur between these biopolymers.
Q: What are the three groups that classify these transfers?
A: These transfers are classified into three groups - general transfers (believed to occur normally in most cells), special transfers (known to occur, but only under specific conditions in case of some viruses or in a laboratory), and unknown transfers (believed never to occur).
Q: What do the general transfers describe?
A: The general transfers describe the normal flow of biological information - DNA can be copied to DNA (DNA replication), DNA information can be copied into mRNA (transcription), and proteins can be synthesized using the information in mRNA as a template (translation).
Q: What is Weismann barrier?
A: Weismann barrier is principle proposed by August Weismann which states that hereditary information moves only from genes to body cells, and never in reverse. Hereditary information moves only from germline cells to somatic cells.
