Uracil and Thymidine

[LikeDaniel]

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Hello fellow nontrads!

I'm studying for the MCAT and something has been bothering me because I don't fully understand it.

I keep hearing that a common cause of mutations is uracil's similarity to thymidine. I understand that this is true, but I don't understand why it's true.

Wouldn't uracil be read the same way that thymidine would be? Or would it be skipped causing a frameshift mutation? Or would it "freak out" the reading protein and effectively act as a stop codon?

Willing to learn,
-LD

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[Goro]

SDN is not for homework.

Try using your Professors.

 

[Gurby]

OP could also try posting in the MCAT Q+A forum where s/he may have more luck: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forums/mcat-study-question-q-a.134/

 

[LikeDaniel]

Hello Goro,

As I mentioned in my post, I actually am not in a Biology course but am trying to understand something that my MCAT prep book breezes by.

I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, I just want to understand the reasoning behind the assertion I keep reading.

Thanks Gurby, I might try that. I had initially considered that, but thought I'd be more likely to get a friendly answer here among peers.

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