Table of contents

1. Introduction to Microbiology3h 22m
2. Disproving Spontaneous Generation1h 18m
3. Chemical Principles of Microbiology3h 38m
4. Water1h 28m
5. Molecules of Microbiology2h 23m
6. Cell Membrane & Transport3h 28m
7. Prokaryotic Cell Structures & Functions5h 52m
8. Eukaryotic Cell Structures & Functions2h 18m
9. Microscopes2h 46m
10. Dynamics of Microbial Growth4h 36m
11. Controlling Microbial Growth4h 10m
12. Microbial Metabolism5h 16m
13. Photosynthesis2h 31m
14. DNA Replication2h 25m
15. Central Dogma & Gene Regulation7h 14m
16. Microbial Genetics4h 44m
17. Biotechnology3h 0m
18. Viruses, Viroids, & Prions4h 56m
19. Innate Immunity7h 15m
20. Adaptive Immunity7h 14m
21. Principles of Disease6h 57m

16. Microbial Genetics

Introduction to DNA Repair

Microbiology

16. Microbial Genetics

Introduction to DNA Repair

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Multiple Choice

Based on the map above, if one of the bases in a strand of DNA is damaged and needs to be replaced, what mechanism will the cell use to repair the DNA?

Mismatch repair.

Nucleotide excision repair.

Base excision repair.

Photoreactivation.

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Verified step by step guidance

Understand the types of DNA damage: DNA can be damaged in various ways, such as mismatches, bulky adducts, or single base alterations. Each type of damage has a specific repair mechanism.

Identify the type of damage: In this problem, the damage involves a single base in the DNA strand. This suggests that the repair mechanism should specifically target small, non-helix-distorting base lesions.

Learn about base excision repair (BER): BER is a cellular mechanism that repairs damaged DNA throughout the cell cycle. It is responsible for fixing small, non-helix-distorting base lesions, such as those caused by oxidation, deamination, and alkylation.

Explore the steps of base excision repair: BER involves several steps, including recognition and removal of the damaged base by a DNA glycosylase, cutting of the DNA backbone by an AP endonuclease, and filling in the gap with the correct nucleotide by DNA polymerase and ligase.

Compare with other repair mechanisms: Mismatch repair fixes errors that occur during DNA replication, nucleotide excision repair deals with bulky helix-distorting lesions, and photoreactivation specifically repairs UV-induced damage. Base excision repair is the most suitable mechanism for single base damage.