Reverse transcriptase

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/reverse-transcriptase

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the enzyme family?DNA polymerases with RNA-dependent activity
2. What is the key biochemical activities?RNA-dependent DNA polymerase, RNase H, DNA-dependent DNA polymerase
3. How does reverse transcriptase work in a virus?First it makes a DNA copy of the virus’s RNA. Then it removes the RNA part, and finally it makes a second DNA strand. The finished DNA can join the host’s genome.
4. Why do medicines target reverse transcriptase in HIV?Because HIV uses reverse transcriptase to make copies of itself. Drugs that block this enzyme stop the virus from spreading.

Central Dogma of Molecular Biology: The principle that genetic information flows from DNA to RNA to protein, with exceptions like reverse transcription.
Telomeres: Repetitive DNA sequences at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes that protect them from degradation.
Retrotransposons: Mobile genetic elements that replicate via an RNA intermediate, often using reverse transcriptase.
Complementary DNA (cDNA): DNA synthesized from an RNA template, lacking introns and representing only expressed genes.