Nucleic Acids: Structure, Components, and Base Pairing in DNA and RNA

What are the building blocks of nucleic acids?

Nucleotides

What elements make up nucleic acids?

Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus (CHONP)

What are the three parts of a nucleotide?

A phosphate group, a 5-carbon sugar, and a nitrogenous base

What are the two types of nitrogen bases in nucleic acids?

Purines and pyrimidines

Which nitrogen bases are classified as purines?

Adenine (A) and Guanine (G)

Which nitrogen bases are classified as pyrimidines?

Cytosine (C) and Thymine (T) in DNA; Uracil (U) replaces Thymine in RNA

What are the two types of nucleic acid polymers?

DNA and RNA

What is the sugar found in DNA?

Deoxyribose

What is the sugar found in RNA?

Ribose

How are the sides of the DNA structure formed?

By alternating phosphate groups and sugars from nucleotides

What type of bond connects the phosphate and sugar in nucleotides?

Phosphodiester bond

What is the base pairing rule in DNA?

Adenine pairs with Thymine (A=T) and Cytosine pairs with Guanine (C=G)

How many strands make up RNA?

One strand

What replaces Thymine in RNA?

Uracil (U)