In the Classroom
RNA World Wordsearch Terry L. Helser Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, SUNY College at Oneonta, Oneonta, New York 13820-4015
[email protected] This puzzle contains 34 names, terms, and acronyms that describe nucleic acid evolution. Discover them by filling the blanks in the description below. Then, find and highlight these terms in the letter matrix (Figure 1). Hint: there are no words entirely within other words. “RNA WORLD” is already done for you. Afterward, use the eight letters remaining in the matrix, read left to right and top to bottom, to complete the sentence describing this hypothesis. Your success will be rewarded. Good hunting! The evidence supporting the RNA WORLD H_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ includes the control of transcription by several N_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ s, like M_ _ _ _ _ _ _ (m_ _ _ _) and S_ _ _ _ interfering _ _ _ _ (s_ _ _ _ _), both involved in RNA I_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (_ _ _ _). Others include small N_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ RNA (_ _ _ _ _ _), that guide rRNA modification, and the five S_ _ _ _ _, which combine with proteins to form snRNPs called “_ _ _ _ _ _”. These are key players in the S_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ that excises I_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ cistrons or I_ _ _ _ _s while linking E_ _ _s into a m_ _ _. Some of these have a metabolite-sensing R_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ to inhibit transcription or translation. Finally, the P_ _ _ _ _ _ _ T_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ in translation and R_ _ _ _s like _ _ _ _ _P in tRNA maturation and _ _ _ nucleases in S_ _ _ _ _ _ _ are R_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. Thus, in the E_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ of N_ _ _ _ _ _ A_ _ _s, _ _ _ did all of the Central Dogma before _ _ _ evolved. (How many other words of g3 letters can you find?). Use the remaining letters to fill in the sentence below: RNA _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
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Journal of Chemical Education
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Figure 1. Letter matrix for the RNA wordsearch.
Supporting Information Available Wordsearch puzzle; puzzle solution. This material is available via the Internet at http://pubs.acs.org.
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Vol. 87 No. 10 October 2010 pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc r 2010 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc. 10.1021/ed100321j Published on Web 08/02/2010
