1.2 Nucleic Acids Flashcards
What does DNA stand for?
Deoxyribonucleic acid
What does RNA stand for?
Ribonucleic acid
What components make up a nucleotide?
- pentose sugar
- phosphate group
- nitrogenous organic base
What pentose sugar is a part of DNA?
Deoxyribose
What pentose sugar is a part of RNA?
Ribose
What is DNA’s main function?
To carry genetic information
What are the roles of RNA?
- to transfer genetic information from DNA to ribosomes
- to make ribosomes
- protein synthesis
A
Adenine
T
Thymine
G
Guanine
C
Cytosine
Which nitrogenous base does not appear in RNA?
Thymine
What is thymine replaced by in RNA?
Uracil
How are the components in a nucleotide joined together?
Through condensation reactions
What bonds form between nucleotides?
Phosphodiester bonds
Where do phosphodiester bonds occur?
Between the phosphate group of one nucleotide and the pentose sugar of another nucleotide
What bond forms between the bases?
Hydrogen bonds
Complementary base pair rule
- Adenine and Thymine (Uracil)
- Guanine and Cytosine
How many hydrogen bonds form between adenine and thymine?
2
How many hydrogen bonds form between guanine and cytosine?
3
Which bases are purines?
Adenine
Guanine
Which bases are pyrimidines?
Thymine
Cytosine
Describe the structure of DNA.
- DNA forms a double helix
- 2 long polynucleotide chains
- sugar phosphate backbone linked by phosphodiester bonds
- bases link chains together
- bases linked by hydrogen bonds
Describe the structure of RNA.
- RNA molecules are generally shorter
- single stranded
- Uracil
