Molecular Structure of DNA and RNA

These flashcards cover key concepts related to the molecular structure of DNA and RNA, focusing on discoveries, properties, and structural elements important for understanding genetic material.

Transforming principle

The substance that, when introduced into a cell, can change its phenotype.

Griffith's experiment

Demonstrated that rough bacteria could be transformed into smooth bacteria by extracting material from dead smooth bacteria.

Chargaff’s Rule

States that the amount of adenine (A) equals the amount of thymine (T), and the amount of guanine (G) equals the amount of cytosine (C) in DNA.

X-ray diffraction

A technique used to determine the three-dimensional structure of biomolecules like DNA.

Double helix

The structure formed by two intertwined strands of DNA, indicating its configuration.

Nucleotide

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

Antiparallel strands

Refers to the opposite orientation of the two strands of DNA, which run in opposite directions.

Phosphodiester bond

The covalent bond that links nucleotides together in a nucleic acid chain.

RNA secondary structures

Three-dimensional shapes formed by RNA molecules that are critical for their function.

DNA vs RNA

DNA is double-stranded and uses deoxyribose sugar, while RNA is usually single-stranded and uses ribose sugar.

Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty

Researchers who demonstrated that DNA is the transforming substance that carries genetic information.