3.1.5.1 Structure of DNA and RNA

Full name for DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid

Full name for RNA

Ribonucleic acid

Structure of nucleotides

Phosphate group, pentose sugar and nitrogenous base

Components of a DNA nucleotide

deoxyribose sugar, phosphate and an organic base (ATCG)

Components of an RNA molecule

ribose sugar, phosphate group and an organic base (AUCG)

Structure of DNA

-adjacent phosphodiester bonds

-held together by complementary base pairing

-two polynucleotide chains in a double helix

-relatively long

Structure of RNA

-Relatively short,

-single-stranded polynucleotide

-adjacent phosphodiester bonds

nitrogenous bases which form three hydrogen bonds

guanine and cytosine

nitrogenous bases which form two hydrogen bonds

adenine and thymine

How Cytosine and Guanine are more stable than Adenine and Thymine

Cytosine and Guanine form 3 hydrogen bonds while Adenine and Thymine form 2