1.3.2 - Nucleic acids

Question 1

what are nucleic acids?

Answer 1

polymers made up of many nucleotide monomers

they carry all the information needed to form new cells (DNA)

Question 2

how are polynucleotides formed?

Answer 2

condensation reaction between sugar on one nucleotide and the phosphate group of the next
forms = phosphodiester bond

Question 3

where can nucleic acids be found?

Answer 3

DNA and RNA

sugar phosphate backbone

Question 4

after polynucleotides are formed, what are at each end?

Answer 4

a hydroxyl group

and a phosphate group

Question 5

what do RNA molecules consist of?

Answer 5

a single polynucleotide strand
held in place by hydrogen bonds
(can fold into complex shapes or remain as long thread-like molecules)

Question 6

what do DNA molecules consist of?

Answer 6

two polynucleotide strands twisted around each other
sugars + phosphate form the backbone
pointing inwards are the bases
all of this results in a double helix

Question 7

how does the double helix stay together?

Answer 7

hydrogen bonds between the complementary base pairs

3 between C and G, 2 between A and T