Coding vs Template Strand Flashcards: Transcription Practice
Practice 46 original English cards on coding and template DNA strands: four RNA-conversion cases, strand choice, two reverse mappings, repairs, and evidence limits.
About this deck
Practice coding vs template strand decisions with 46 original English flashcards for introductory biology. Each sequence exercise states the strand’s role for a gene and labels its 5′ and 3′ ends. Report the initial, unprocessed RNA segment before processing, written 5′ → 3′.
The deck includes 20 DNA-to-RNA exercises: five coding strands displayed 5′ → 3′, five coding strands displayed 3′ → 5′, five template strands displayed 3′ → 5′, and five template strands displayed 5′ → 3′. Eight complementary two-strand displays ask which strand is the template from RNA polymerase’s stated movement, with four cases in each movement direction. Two reverse exercises start from an initial RNA segment and request its corresponding coding or template DNA segment, both explicitly written 5′ → 3′. Eight repairs address wrong rules or proposed answers, and four evidence checks identify missing role, orientation, processing information, or transcription evidence.
Four foundation cards introduce the template role, RNA synthesis direction, antiparallel alignment, and RNA alphabet. The fixed order starts with the basic coding and template cases, then mixes orientations, strand choices, repairs, reverse mappings, and limits. Repeated conversion-operation families are separated by at least three intervening cards, including related repairs and reverse mappings. The review scheduler handles later spacing. Answers give the result first and a short reason; every card carries the transcription-strands tag.
All short base sequences are invented practice segments, not identified genes. Mature-mRNA prediction is excluded because processing information is not supplied; one card asks you to recognize that limit. Translation, codon tables, reading frames, mutations, promoter inference, species-specific mechanisms, and complete-course or exam alignment are outside the scope. Additional reverse-orientation permutations and arbitrary sequence-generation prompts are omitted to keep the retrieval tasks focused. For a longer explanation, read the coding vs template strand lesson.
The questions, answers, artificial sequences, organization, and metadata were written independently with AI assistance and checked against common reference facts. Factual references are NHGRI’s Finding Genes and RNA fact sheet. No competitor cards, textbook examples, examination questions, source prose, diagrams, or logos were copied. Reference materials retain their own rights; facts are not claimed as proprietary.
Original material, including the AI-generated decorative cover, is dedicated under CC0 1.0 to the extent applicable rights exist. The cover is an abstract illustration, not a molecular diagram. This is independent study material; NHGRI and other institutions do not endorse it.
Cards in this deck
Card 1
Question
For a gene, which DNA strand does RNA polymerase use as its base-pairing guide?
Answer
The template strand. Its bases determine the complementary RNA bases.
Card 2
Question
In which direction does RNA polymerase build a new RNA strand?
Answer
5′ → 3′. New nucleotides are added at the growing RNA strand’s 3′ end.
Card 3
Question
How do the directions of an RNA segment and its paired DNA template align?
Answer
They are antiparallel: an RNA segment runs 5′ → 3′ alongside a template segment running 3′ → 5′.
Card 4
Question
Which four base letters belong in an ordinary RNA sequence?
Answer
A, U, C, and G. RNA uses U (uracil) where the corresponding coding DNA has T (thymine).
Card 5
Question
This gene’s transcribed DNA segment is shown as the coding strand. Write the initial, unprocessed RNA segment before processing, 5′ → 3′.
Coding DNA: 5′-GTACCTGA-3′Answer
RNA: 5′-GUACCUGA-3′Keep the coding strand’s order and replace T with U.
Card 6
Question
This gene’s transcribed DNA segment is shown as the template strand. Write the initial, unprocessed RNA segment before processing, 5′ → 3′.
Template DNA: 3′-CAGTTCGA-5′Answer
RNA: 5′-GUCAAGCU-3′Complement the template in the displayed order: A → U, T → A, C → G, G → C.
Card 7
Question
RNA polymerase moves left to right across this transcribed segment. Which DNA strand is the template for this gene?
Top: 3′-AGCTCAGG-5′ Bottom: 5′-TCGAGTCC-3′Answer
Top strand. Along the stated movement, this strand is read 3′ → 5′.
Card 8
Question
This gene’s transcribed DNA segment is shown as the template strand. Write the initial, unprocessed RNA segment before processing, 5′ → 3′.
Template DNA: 5′-TGCAGATCCA-3′Answer
RNA: 5′-UGGAUCUGCA-3′Reverse the displayed template, then complement it: A → U, T → A, C → G, G → C.
Card 9
Question
This gene’s transcribed DNA segment is shown as the coding strand. Write the initial, unprocessed RNA segment before processing, 5′ → 3′.
Coding DNA: 5′-CAGTACGTT-3′Answer
RNA: 5′-CAGUACGUU-3′Keep the coding strand’s order and replace T with U.
Card 10
Question
This gene’s transcribed DNA segment is shown as the coding strand. Write the initial, unprocessed RNA segment before processing, 5′ → 3′.
Coding DNA: 3′-CTAGACCTGA-5′Answer
RNA: 5′-AGUCCAGAUC-3′Read the coding strand from its 5′ end: reverse the displayed letters, then replace T with U.
Card 11
Question
RNA polymerase moves right to left across this transcribed segment. Which DNA strand is the template for this gene?
Top: 3′-ATCGGTCA-5′ Bottom: 5′-TAGCCAGT-3′Answer
Bottom strand. Along the stated movement, this strand is read 3′ → 5′.
Card 12
Question
This gene’s transcribed DNA segment is shown as the template strand. Write the initial, unprocessed RNA segment before processing, 5′ → 3′.
Template DNA: 3′-GCTACCATGT-5′Answer
RNA: 5′-CGAUGGUACA-3′Complement the template in the displayed order: A → U, T → A, C → G, G → C.
Card 13
Question
This gene’s transcribed DNA segment is shown as the template strand. The proposal complements its displayed bases, then changes the end labels without reversing the letters. Correct the initial, unprocessed RNA segment before processing, 5′ → 3′.
Template DNA: 5′-CGATTCAG-3′ Proposed RNA: 5′-GCUAAGUC-3′Answer
RNA: 5′-CUGAAUCG-3′The complement in displayed order runs 3′ → 5′. Reverse its letters as well as its end labels to report it 5′ → 3′.
Card 14
Question
This gene’s transcribed DNA segment is shown as the coding strand. Write the initial, unprocessed RNA segment before processing, 5′ → 3′.
Coding DNA: 5′-GCTTAGACCA-3′Answer
RNA: 5′-GCUUAGACCA-3′Keep the coding strand’s order and replace T with U.
Card 15
Question
This gene’s transcribed DNA segment is shown as the coding strand. Write the initial, unprocessed RNA segment before processing, 5′ → 3′.
Coding DNA: 3′-CGTTAAGC-5′Answer
RNA: 5′-CGAAUUGC-3′Read the coding strand from its 5′ end: reverse the displayed letters, then replace T with U.
Card 16
Question
RNA polymerase moves left to right across this transcribed segment. Which DNA strand is the template for this gene?
Top: 3′-GACTAGCA-5′ Bottom: 5′-CTGATCGT-3′Answer
Top strand. Along the stated movement, this strand is read 3′ → 5′.
Card 17
Question
This gene’s transcribed DNA segment is shown as the template strand. Write the initial, unprocessed RNA segment before processing, 5′ → 3′.
Template DNA: 3′-ATCCGTGA-5′Answer
RNA: 5′-UAGGCACU-3′Complement the template in the displayed order: A → U, T → A, C → G, G → C.
Card 18
Question
This gene’s transcribed DNA segment is shown as the template strand. Write the initial, unprocessed RNA segment before processing, 5′ → 3′.
Template DNA: 5′-TCGAATGC-3′Answer
RNA: 5′-GCAUUCGA-3′Reverse the displayed template, then complement it: A → U, T → A, C → G, G → C.
Card 19
Question
This initial, unprocessed RNA segment was transcribed from a gene before processing. Write the corresponding coding DNA segment 5′ → 3′.
RNA: 5′-CUAAGUGC-3′Answer
Coding DNA: 5′-CTAAGTGC-3′Keep the RNA’s order and replace U with T.
Card 20
Question
RNA polymerase moves right to left across this transcribed segment. Which DNA strand is the template for this gene?
Top: 3′-TACGAGGT-5′ Bottom: 5′-ATGCTCCA-3′Answer
Bottom strand. Along the stated movement, this strand is read 3′ → 5′.
Card 21
Question
The only evidence offered for choosing a gene’s template is that the top strand contains ATG. What is missing?
Top: 5′-ATGCTCAG-3′ Bottom: 3′-TACGAGTC-5′Answer
Evidence of which strand is transcribed for this gene, such as RNA polymerase’s movement across the segment. ATG alone does not establish the strand’s role.
Card 22
Question
This gene’s transcribed DNA segment is shown as the template strand. Write the initial, unprocessed RNA segment before processing, 5′ → 3′.
Template DNA: 5′-ACTGGCATG-3′Answer
RNA: 5′-CAUGCCAGU-3′Reverse the displayed template, then complement it: A → U, T → A, C → G, G → C.
Card 23
Question
This gene’s transcribed DNA segment is shown as the coding strand. Write the initial, unprocessed RNA segment before processing, 5′ → 3′.
Coding DNA: 5′-ACAGTTGC-3′Answer
RNA: 5′-ACAGUUGC-3′Keep the coding strand’s order and replace T with U.
Card 24
Question
This gene’s transcribed DNA segment is shown as the coding strand. Write the initial, unprocessed RNA segment before processing, 5′ → 3′.
Coding DNA: 3′-GACTTACGA-5′Answer
RNA: 5′-AGCAUUCAG-3′Read the coding strand from its 5′ end: reverse the displayed letters, then replace T with U.
Card 25
Question
RNA polymerase moves right to left across this transcribed segment. Which DNA strand is the template for this gene?
Top: 5′-TCGACAGT-3′ Bottom: 3′-AGCTGTCA-5′Answer
Top strand. Along the stated movement, this strand is read 3′ → 5′.
Card 26
Question
This gene’s transcribed DNA segment is shown as the template strand. Write the initial, unprocessed RNA segment before processing, 5′ → 3′.
Template DNA: 3′-TCAGGATCA-5′Answer
RNA: 5′-AGUCCUAGU-3′Complement the template in the displayed order: A → U, T → A, C → G, G → C.
Card 27
Question
This gene’s transcribed DNA segment is shown as the template strand. Write the initial, unprocessed RNA segment before processing, 5′ → 3′.
Template DNA: 5′-AGTCACGA-3′Answer
RNA: 5′-UCGUGACU-3′Reverse the displayed template, then complement it: A → U, T → A, C → G, G → C.
Card 28
Question
This gene’s transcribed DNA segment is shown as the coding strand. Correct the proposed initial, unprocessed RNA segment before processing, 5′ → 3′.
Coding DNA: 5′-GATACCGT-3′ Proposed RNA: 5′-UGCCAUAG-3′Answer
RNA: 5′-GAUACCGU-3′The coding strand is already displayed 5′ → 3′. Replace T with U without reversing its letters.
Card 29
Question
This gene’s transcribed DNA segment is shown as the coding strand. Write the initial, unprocessed RNA segment before processing, 5′ → 3′.
Coding DNA: 3′-TGACCTAG-5′Answer
RNA: 5′-GAUCCAGU-3′Read the coding strand from its 5′ end: reverse the displayed letters, then replace T with U.
Card 30
Question
This gene’s transcribed DNA segment is shown as the template strand. Write the initial, unprocessed RNA segment before processing, 5′ → 3′.
Template DNA: 3′-GATCCAGT-5′Answer
RNA: 5′-CUAGGUCA-3′Complement the template in the displayed order: A → U, T → A, C → G, G → C.
Card 31
Question
RNA polymerase moves right to left across this transcribed segment. Which DNA strand is the template for this gene?
Top: 5′-CTTAGCGA-3′ Bottom: 3′-GAATCGCT-5′Answer
Top strand. Along the stated movement, this strand is read 3′ → 5′.
Card 32
Question
This gene’s transcribed DNA segment is shown as the template strand. Correct the proposed initial, unprocessed RNA segment before processing, 5′ → 3′.
Template DNA: 5′-ACGTTCGA-3′ Proposed RNA: 5′-UGCAAGCU-3′Answer
RNA: 5′-UCGAACGU-3′Complementing the displayed template gives RNA in the opposite direction. Reverse that complement to report the RNA 5′ → 3′.
Card 33
Question
This gene’s transcribed DNA segment is shown as the coding strand. Write the initial, unprocessed RNA segment before processing, 5′ → 3′.
Coding DNA: 5′-TTGACGCA-3′Answer
RNA: 5′-UUGACGCA-3′Keep the coding strand’s order and replace T with U.
Card 34
Question
Repair this rule: “The top DNA strand in a drawing is always the coding strand.”
Answer
Top or bottom position does not assign a strand’s role for a gene. Use the stated role, or identify the template as the strand RNA polymerase reads 3′ → 5′ along its movement.
Card 35
Question
This gene’s transcribed DNA segment is shown as the coding strand. What additional information is needed to infer the corresponding mature mRNA segment?
Coding DNA: 5′-ACCTGAGT-3′Answer
Which processing changes, if any, affect this segment. Coding DNA alone determines the initial RNA sequence, but it does not tell you which bases remain in mature mRNA.
Card 36
Question
This gene’s transcribed DNA segment is shown as the template strand. Correct the proposed initial, unprocessed RNA segment before processing, keeping the answer 5′ → 3′.
Template DNA: 3′-CATGGCAT-5′ Proposed RNA: 5′-CAUGGCAU-3′Answer
RNA: 5′-GUACCGUA-3′The proposal copied the template. Pair each RNA base with the template base instead.
Card 37
Question
This gene’s transcribed DNA segment is shown as the template strand. Write the initial, unprocessed RNA segment before processing, 5′ → 3′.
Template DNA: 5′-GGCATCTA-3′Answer
RNA: 5′-UAGAUGCC-3′Reverse the displayed template, then complement it: A → U, T → A, C → G, G → C.
Card 38
Question
Repair this rule: “For a transcribed coding DNA segment already written 5′ → 3′, complement every base to get the initial RNA 5′ → 3′.”
Answer
Keep the coding sequence’s letter order and replace T with U. The initial RNA is complementary to the template, so it matches the corresponding coding strand apart from U replacing T.
Card 39
Question
Repair this rule: “Any DNA strand containing ATG must be the coding strand for the gene.”
Answer
ATG alone does not identify the coding strand. You need the strand’s role for that gene or transcription-direction evidence; a short base pattern does not supply it.
Card 40
Question
RNA polymerase moves left to right across this transcribed segment. Which DNA strand is the template for this gene?
Top: 5′-CGTAAGTC-3′ Bottom: 3′-GCATTCAG-5′Answer
Bottom strand. Along the stated movement, this strand is read 3′ → 5′.
Card 41
Question
A DNA segment is known to be transcribed, but its role is not given. What information is missing before you can assign one initial RNA segment?
DNA: 5′-CTGACATC-3′Answer
Its role for this gene: coding or template. The end labels alone do not choose between copying the coding sequence and reverse-complementing the template.
Card 42
Question
This gene’s transcribed DNA segment is shown as the coding strand. Write the initial, unprocessed RNA segment before processing, 5′ → 3′.
Coding DNA: 3′-ATGCCAGT-5′Answer
RNA: 5′-UGACCGUA-3′Read the coding strand from its 5′ end: reverse the displayed letters, then replace T with U.
Card 43
Question
This initial, unprocessed RNA segment was transcribed from a gene before processing. Write the corresponding template DNA segment 5′ → 3′.
RNA: 5′-AGUCAGGA-3′Answer
Template DNA: 5′-TCCTGACT-3′The paired template is 3′-TCAGTCCT-5′. Reverse it to report the DNA 5′ → 3′.
Card 44
Question
This gene’s transcribed DNA segment is shown as the coding strand. Correct the proposed initial, unprocessed RNA segment before processing, 5′ → 3′.
Coding DNA: 5′-TGCAAGCT-3′ Proposed RNA: 5′-TGCAAGCT-3′Answer
RNA: 5′-UGCAAGCU-3′Keep the coding strand’s order and replace both T bases with U.
Card 45
Question
The shown coding DNA segment is transcribed for this gene. What is missing before you can write one initial, unprocessed RNA segment 5′ → 3′?
Coding DNA: GCATACCGAnswer
The displayed direction: which end is 5′ and which is 3′. Without it, the letter order of the RNA written 5′ → 3′ is ambiguous.
Card 46
Question
RNA polymerase moves left to right across this transcribed segment. Which DNA strand is the template for this gene?
Top: 5′-CAGTCGAT-3′ Bottom: 3′-GTCAGCTA-5′Answer
Bottom strand. Along the stated movement, this strand is read 3′ → 5′.
46 cards
Coding vs Template Strand Flashcards: Transcription Practice
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