Nucleic Acids, DNA, and RNA

Vocabulary flashcards covering the structure, composition, functions, and key processes of DNA and RNA based on lecture notes.

Nucleic Acids Composition

Molecules composed of Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

A double-stranded polymer in a helix shape that functions as genetic material for inheritance and determines the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide.

Ribonucleic acid (RNA)

A single-stranded polymer involved in making proteins by translating nucleic acid language to protein language, functioning as a message between DNA and protein.

DNA Nucleotide

The monomer of DNA consisting of three parts: a 5-C sugar (deoxyribose), a phosphate, and 1 of 4 nitrogenous bases (A, C, G, or T).

RNA Nucleotide

The monomer of RNA consisting of three parts: a 5-C sugar (ribose), a phosphate, and 1 of 4 nitrogenous bases (A, C, G, or U).

Deoxyribose

The 5-C sugar component present in DNA nucleotides.

Ribose

The 5-C sugar component present in RNA nucleotides.

Uracil (U)

A nitrogenous base found only in RNA.

Base Pairing Rules in DNA

The specific pairing of nitrogenous bases in DNA: adenine pairs with thymine (A - T), and cytosine pairs with guanine (C - G).

Transcription

The synthesis process where a 3' DNA template strand is used to synthesize a 5' mRNA strand.

Translation

The synthesis process where an mRNA sequence is read in codons to build a protein made of amino acids.

Codon

A sequence of bases on mRNA that specifies a particular amino acid during translation.

DNA Structural Dimensions

Key spatial features of the DNA molecule, including a width of $1\,nm$, a full helical turn length of $3.4\,nm$, and a distance of $0.34\,nm$ between consecutive base pairs.