Topic 2B.3 The Structure of DNA and RNA

mononucleotides

molecules with three parts - a 5-carbon pentose sugar, a nitrogen-containing base and a phosphate group - joined by condensation reactions

adenosine triphosphate (ATP)

a molecule that acts as the universal energy supply molecule in cells; it is made of the base adenine, the pentose sugar ribose and three phosphate groups

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

a nucleic acid that is the genetic material in many organisms

ribonucleic acid (RNA)

a nucleic acid which is the genetic material of some organisms and is involved in protein synthesis

ribose

a pentose sugar that is part of the structure of RNA

deoxyribose

a pentose sugar that is part of the structure of DNA

purine base

a base found in nucleotides that has two nitrogen-containing rings

pyrimidine base

a base found in nucleotides that has one nitrogen-containing ring

adenine

a purine base found in DNA and RNA

guanine

a purine base found in DNA and RNA

cytosine

a pyrimidine base found in DNA and RNA

thymine

a pyrimidine base found in DNA

uracil

a pyrimidine base found in RNA

nucleic acids/polynucleotides

polymers made up of many nucleotide monomer units that carry all the information needed to form new cells

phosphodiester bond

bond formed between the phosphate group of one nucleotide and the sugar of the next nucleotide in a condensation reaction

complementary base pairs

complementary purine and pyrimidine bases which align in a DNA helix, with hydrogen bonds holding them together (C-G, A-T)

genome

the entire genetic material of an organism