RNA, DNA and the Genetic Code

This course looks closely at how genetic information is copied, corrected, and read out inside the cell. You'll cover DNA replication in depth: the roles of DNA polymerase and other replication proteins, the replication fork, the difference between the leading and lagging strands, Okazaki fragments, and the role of telomeres and telomerase in protecting chromosome ends. The course then covers the major DNA repair systems and the consequences when they fail, before turning to RNA and gene expression – the complexity of eukaryotic RNA structure, the role of chromatin and histones in eukaryotic gene expression, and an introduction to epigenetics. From there, you'll cover RNA splicing and the spliceosome, catalytic RNAs and ribozymes, and RNA interference, including how microRNA and silencing RNA regulate gene expression. Together, these topics build directly on the central dogma introduced in Biochemistry: Foundations and go a level deeper into the molecular mechanisms involved.