3.1.5 - Nucleic acids are important information-carrying molecules

Question 1

what are DNA and RNA both types of?

Answer 1

nucleic acid

Question 2

what does DNA stand for?

Answer 2

deoxyribonucleic acid

Question 3

what is DNA used for?

Answer 3

to store your genetic information

Question 4

what does RNA stand for?

Answer 4

ribonucleic acid

Question 5

RNA structure

Answer 5

similar in structure to DNA

Question 6

RNA function

Answer 6

transfer genetic information from the DNA to the ribosomes.

Question 7

RNA and ribosomes

Answer 7

ribosomes read the RNA to make polypeptides during translation

Question 8

what are molecules of DNA and RNA polymers of?

Answer 8

molecules of DNA and RNA are polymers of nucleotides

Question 9

what components make up a nucleotide?

Answer 9

• pentose sugar (5 C atoms)
• a nitrogen containing organic base
• phosphate group

Question 10

what forms when many nucleotides join together

Answer 10

many nucleotides join together to form polynucleotide strands (or chains)

Question 11

how do the nucleotides join up to form a polynucleotide?

Answer 11

the nucleotides join up via a condensation reaction

Question 12

condensation reaction forming polynucleotides

Answer 12

condensation reaction between the phosphate group of one nucleotide and the sugar of another

Question 13

bond formed in condensation reactions to form polynucleotides

Answer 13

this forms a phosphodiester bond (phosphate group and 2 ester bonds). chain of phosphates and sugars is known as the sugar-phosphate backbone

Question 14

DNA structure

Answer 14

double helix structure

Question 15

what are the strands in the DNA double helix

Answer 15

polynucleotides

Question 16

DNA’s structure and use

Answer 16

DNA molecules are very long/coiled up very tightly so lots of genetic information can fit into a small space in the cell nucleus