Nucleic Acids: DNA and RNA

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary related to nucleic acids, DNA, RNA, their structures, functions, and key concepts.

Nucleic Acids

Biological molecules essential for known forms of life, including DNA and RNA.

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid, a molecule that carries hereditary information.

Nucleotide

The basic building block of DNA and RNA, made of a sugar, phosphate group, and nitrogenous base.

Adenine

A nitrogenous base that pairs with thymine in DNA and uracil in RNA.

Thymine

A nitrogenous base that pairs with adenine in DNA.

Cytosine

A nitrogenous base that pairs with guanine in both DNA and RNA.

Guanine

A nitrogenous base that pairs with cytosine in both DNA and RNA.

Purines

Nitrogenous bases with a double ring structure, including adenine and guanine.

Pyrimidines

Nitrogenous bases with a single ring structure, including thymine, cytosine, and uracil.

Phosphodiester Bond

The linkage between nucleotides in DNA and RNA, connecting the phosphate group of one nucleotide to the sugar of the next.

Double Helix

The coiled structure of DNA formed by two antiparallel strands.

Hydrogen Bonds

Weak bonds that hold together complementary nitrogenous bases in DNA.

mRNA (Messenger RNA)

RNA that carries genetic information from DNA to the ribosomes for protein synthesis.

tRNA (Transfer RNA)

RNA that transfers specific amino acids to a growing polypeptide chain during protein synthesis.

rRNA (Ribosomal RNA)

A component of ribosomes, which are the sites of protein synthesis.

Central Dogma

The process by which DNA is transcribed into RNA and then translated into proteins.

Denaturation of DNA

The process of breaking hydrogen bonds between bases due to high temperature or pH.

Chargaff's Rule

States that in DNA, the amount of adenine equals thymine, and guanine equals cytosine.

Antiparallel Strands

The orientation of the two DNA strands running in opposite directions.

Ribose

A five-carbon sugar present in RNA.

Deoxyribose

A five-carbon sugar present in DNA, lacking one oxygen atom compared to ribose.