DNA and RNA Structure Notes

This flashcard set includes key terms and definitions related to the structure and function of DNA and RNA, as well as notable scientists involved in their discovery.

Rosalind Franklin

Performed X-Ray Crystallography of DNA which revealed a regular and repetitive pattern.

Edwin Chargaff

Analyzed DNA samples and found that the amount of adenine equals thymine and cytosine equals guanine.

Purines

Nucleotides with a double ring structure, specifically adenine (A) and guanine (G).

Pyrimidines

Nucleotides with a single ring structure, specifically cytosine (C), uracil (U), and thymine (T).

Base Pairing

Hydrogen bonds hold the base pairs together: adenine pairs with thymine and cytosine pairs with guanine.

Antiparallel Strands

DNA strands run in opposite directions; one strand runs 5' to 3' and the other runs 3' to 5'.

Sugar-Phosphate Backbone

The structural framework of DNA made from alternating sugar and phosphate groups.

Plasmids

Small, circular DNA molecules found in prokaryotes that replicate independently from chromosomal DNA.

Recombinant Plasmid DNA

A plasmid that has had a gene of interest inserted into it for expression in bacteria.

Chargaff's Rule

In any species, the amount of adenine equals the amount of thymine, and the amount of cytosine equals the amount of guanine.

Differences between RNA and DNA

RNA is single stranded and has uracil instead of thymine, whereas DNA is double stranded with thymine.

Watson and Crick

Combined Franklin's findings and Chargaff's rules to create the first 3D model of DNA.