Nucleotides and Nucleic Acids

Vocabulary flashcards based on the lecture notes covering nucleotides and nucleic acids.

Nucleotide

A molecule consisting of a nitrogenous base, a pentose sugar, and one or more phosphate groups, essential for storing and transferring genetic information.

Nucleic Acid

Long polymers of nucleotides linked via phosphodiester bonds, primarily DNA and RNA.

Purine

A type of nitrogenous base with a double-ring structure, including adenine (A) and guanine (G).

Pyrimidine

A type of nitrogenous base with a single-ring structure, including cytosine (C), thymine (T), and uracil (U).

Base Pairing

The specific hydrogen bonding between nitrogenous bases; adenine pairs with thymine (or uracil), and guanine pairs with cytosine.

Double Helix

The structure of DNA, formed by two strands twisted around each other, proposed by Watson and Crick.

Phosphodiester Bond

The covalent bond linking the sugar of one nucleotide to the phosphate group of another nucleotide in a nucleic acid.

Ribonucleoside

A nucleoside that contains ribose as its sugar, such as adenosine or guanosine.

Deoxyribonucleoside

A nucleoside that contains deoxyribose as its sugar, such as deoxyadenosine or thymidine.

Messenger RNA (mRNA)

The RNA molecule that serves as a template for protein synthesis by carrying genetic information from DNA to ribosomes.

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA)

The structural and functional component of ribosomes, playing a role in protein synthesis.

Transfer RNA (tRNA)

The RNA molecule that carries specific amino acids to ribosomes during protein synthesis, containing an anticodon.

Anticodon

A trinucleotide sequence in tRNA that is complementary to a corresponding codon in mRNA.

Semi-Conservative Replication

The method of DNA replication where each new molecule retains one parental strand and synthesizes one new strand.

Tautomeric Shift

An alteration in the placement of protons and electrons within the base that can affect base-pairing properties.