Nucleic Acids

• Nucleic acids serve as the ==assembly instructions== for all proteins in living organisms
• Two types of nucleic acid exists:   * DNA - deoxyribonucleic acid   * RNA - ribonucleic acid

DNA - Deoxyribonucleic Acid

• Stores ==hereditary information== that’s responsible for ==inherited traits== in all ==eukaryotes== and ==prokaryotes== and in ==many viruses==

RNA - Ribonucleic Acid

• There are diff forms of RNA involved in ==protein synthesis== in all cells

Nucleotides

• All nucleic acids are ==polymers== of units called ==nucleotides (monomers)==
• A nucleotide consists of 3 components:   * Pentose sugar - 5 carbond ring-shaped sugar   * Phosphate group (PO4 3-)   * Nitrogenous base - ring of carbon and nitrogen atoms
• Each nitrogenous base links covalently to a pentose, either deoxyribose or ribose

• The two sugars differ only in the ==chemical group== that’s bound to the 2 carbon   * Deoxyribose has an -H and ribose has an -OH group

• Dna contains ==deoxyribose sugar==
• RNA contains ==ribose sugar==

Nucleic Acid

• There are two general types of nitrogenous base:   * Pyrimidine bases   * Purines bases

Pyrimidine Bases

• ==Single organic rings==
• The three pyrimidine bases are ==uracil (U)==, ==thymine (T)==, and ==cytosine (C)==

Purines Bases

• ==Two-ringed organic structures==
• The two purine bases are ==adenine (A)== and ==guanine (G)==

From Nucleotides into Polymers

Phosphate-Sugar Backbone

• Nucleotides are linked together by ==covalent bonds== between ==phosphate of one nucleotide== and ==sugar of next==
• These monomers that are linked through ==phosphodiester bonds== become the ==phosphate-sugar backbone of nucleic acid==

The Nucleic Acid Ladder

• Hydrogen bonds form between ==specifc nitrogenous bases== forming the ==double-stranded DNA molecule==
• The nitrogen bases form the stairs and are attached to the ==backbone==

Base Pairing in DNA

• ==Guanine== forms ==3 hydrogen bonds== w ==cytosine==
• ==Adenine== forms ==2 hydrogen bonds== w ==thymine==

Antiparallel Strands in DNA

• DNA strands run ==antiparallel== to each other, meaning they are ==oriented in the opposite direction relative to the sugar phosphate backbone==
• 5 Prime (5’end)   * The phosphate end
• 3 Prime (3’end)   * The deoxyribose sugar end

DNA

• In a DNA chain, each nucleotide contains:   * Deoxyribose   * Phosphate group   * Nitrogenous bases (A, T, G or C)
• Double stranded
• Found in the ==nucleus== of the cell
• Stores ==hereditary info==

RNA

• In an RNA chain, each nucleotide contains:   * Ribose   * Phosphate   * Nitrogenous bases (A, U, G or C)
• Single stranded
• Integral part of ==protein synthesis== (transfers DNA msg outside of nucleus)
• Usually in the ==cytoplasm==
• DNA → RNA → Protein (central dogma)   * The process by which the instructions in DNA are converted into a ==functional product==

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