Nucleic Acids

Nucleic acids

Polymers made of nucleotide monomers

Function of nucleic acids

store, transmit, and express hereditary information

Two forms of nucleic acids

DNA and RNA

Components of nucleic acids

Nucleotides > Polynucleotides > Nucleic acids

Parts

Nitrogenous base, five carbon sugar (pentose), and phosphate group

Nitrogenous base

Pyrimidines and Purines

Pyrmidines

One ring with 6 atoms

Types of pyrimidines

Cytosine

Thymine

Uracil

Purines

One ring with 6 atoms bonded to one ring with 5 atoms

Types of purines

Adenine

Guanine

Five-Carbon Sugar (pentose)

Deoxyribose in DNA

Ribose (+ oxygen) in RNA

Phosphate group

A phosphate group attached to the 5’ carbon of the sugar

Phosphodiester linkage

covalent bond where 5’ phosphate links with 3’ hydroxyl

Sequence of bases along the DNA or mRNA

Unique for each gene and dictates amino acid sequence which dictates protein structure

DNA

consists of two polynucleotides and forms an antiparallel double helix

Nitrogenous base bonding in DNA

Cytosine - Guanine

Adenine - Thymine

RNA

Single stranded polynucleotide

Why is RNA variable in shape?

Due to base pairing within RNA

Nitrogenous base bonding in RNA

Adenine - Uracil

Cytosine - Guanine

Monomer of Nucleic Acids

Nucleotides

Polymer of Nucleotides

DNA, RNA

Elements involved

C, H, O, N, P

Number of bonds between adenine and thymine/uracil

2 hydrogen bonds

Number of bonds between cytosine and guanine

3 hydrogen bonds