Exam 1, Topic 6: Nucleic Acids

Nucleic acids

Macromolecules that consist of nucleotides

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid

DNA function

Store genetic information in the sequence of nucleotides

RNA

Ribonucleic acid

RNA function

Involved in decoding genetic info in DNA to create instruction to build proteins

Nucleotide

Monomer of nucleic acids

Nucleotide structure

Phosphate + pentose (ribose or deoxyribose) + nitrogenous base

Purine bases

Adenine (A) and Guanine (G)

Purine base structure

Fused double ring

Pyrimidine bases

Cytosine (C), Thymine (T), and Uracil (U)

Pyrimidine base structure

Single ring

Which base can only be found in RNA?

Uracil (U)

Nucleoside

Pentose + nitrogenous base

How are atoms in the nitrogenous ring named?

1-6 (including carbons and nitrogens)

How are atoms in the pentose ring named?

1'-5' (only the carbons)

Nucleoside n-phosphate

Pentose + nitrogenous base + n number of phosphate groups

What is the sugar in DNA?

Deoxyribose: same as ribose but with H on 2'C

What is the sugar in RNA?

Ribose: same as

Names for DNA monomers

Deoxyribonucleotide, deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate, dNTP

How are nucleotides attached to each other?

Phosphodiester linkage: one phosphate group of dNTP attaches to the 3' carbon of the previous dNTP and a bond is formed while two phosphates are lost in the reaction

Structure of DNA molecule

Double stranded alpha helix of a chain of nucleotides

How is the double stranded alpha helix held together?

Hydrogen bonding between opposing bases

Name for RNA monomers

Ribonucleotide, ribonucleoside triphosphate, NTP

Structure of RNA molecule

Single stranded chain of nucleotides