A1.2 Nucleic Acids

Question 1

what are the 4 major types of biological molecules?

Answer 1

Nucleic acids, lipids, carbohydrates and proteins

Question 2

What are the primary functions of nucleic acids?

Answer 2

-Pass information between generations.
-Code for protein production.

Question 3

what are the two types of nucleic acids in the cell

Answer 3

-DNA - deoxyribonucleic acid
-RNA - ribonucleic acid

Question 4

outline the meaning and implication of DNA being the genetic material for all living organisms

Answer 4

-Inheritance: DNA replicates during cell division, ensuring genetic information is passed to the next generation.
-Protein Synthesis: DNA guides the synthesis of RNA and proteins, crucial for cellular functions.
-Evolution: DNA mutations drive diversity and adaptation, aiding in the study of evolutionary relationships.

Question 5

Why do RNA viruses do not have DNA as their genetic material

Answer 5

Some viruses use RNA as their genetic material. However, because viruses are not made of cells, they are not considered to be living

Question 6

what reaction do nucleotides go through to form nucleic acids

Answer 6

condensation reactions

Question 7

What are the 3 components of a nucleotide?

Answer 7

phosphate group,
nitrogenous base,
sugar

Question 8

Draw the Structure of a Nucleotide (using a circle, pentagon, and rectangle) and label

Answer 8

Refer to document

figure 1

Question 9

out of the three components of a nucleotide, which one is negatively charged

Answer 9

phosphate group

Question 10

Identify and label the carbons of a pentose sugar

Answer 10

C1: Attached to the ring oxygen, the anomeric carbon.
C2: Connected to a hydroxyl group.
C3: Next in the chain.
C4: Continuing the chain.
C5: Terminal carbon.

(if needed refer to figure 2)

Question 11

The sugars in DNA and RNA are different, what is different about it

Answer 11

The difference between ribose and deoxyribose is off carbon-2!
-DNA has a H
-RNA has an OH

Question 12

define “backbone” as related to nucleic acid structure

Answer 12

DNA and RNA have a “backbone” of phosphate-sugar- phosphate-sugar-phosphate…

The ends of the backbone are identified as 5’ and 3’ (A1.2.11*).
5’ end with a phosphate
3’ end with a pentose.

(REFER TO FIGURE 3 IF NEEDED)

Question 13

Explain how nucleotides connect to form a nucleic acid polymer

Answer 13

Nucleotides connect through condensation reactions (a loss in a water molecule) , forming a sugar-phosphate backbone that creates nucleic acid polymers, essential for genetic information

Question 14

What are the names of the nitrogenous bases found in DNA and RNA

Answer 14

Thymine (T)
Adenine (A)
Cytosine (C)
Guanine (G)
Uracil (U)

Question 15

Similarity and difference between the nitrogenous bases

Answer 15

They each have a different structure but all contain nitrogen atoms

Question 16

What bases are purines?

Answer 16

Guanine and Adenine

Question 17

What bases are pyrimidines?

Answer 17

Cytosine, guanine, uracil and thymine

Question 18

how does the sequence of bases serve as a ‘code’

Answer 18

A gene is a specific sequence of nitrogenous bases in DNA nucleotides that codes for the making of a protein.

Question 19

define gene

Answer 19

DNA that contains the instructions for producing a specific protein or set of proteins

Question 20

What is the condensation reaction that forms a polymer of RNA from RNA nucleotides?

Answer 20

-The RNA backbone forms when nucleotides combine through a condensation reaction, which loses a water molecule.
-This chemical reaction joins two molecules to create a single RNA polymer chain from monomer nucleotides.

Question 21

Identify the monomer and polymer of an RNA molecule

Answer 21

The monomer nucleotides combine to form the polymer RNA chain.

Question 22

Draw a short section of an RNA polymer

Answer 22

refer to figure 1

Question 23

What is the structure of a DNA double helix?

Answer 23

In DNA, two backbones will hydrogen bond together to create a double helix.

(refer to figure 4)

Question 24

What is the complementary base paring rule and the number of bonds between them

Answer 24

ADENINE pairs with THYMINE with two hydrogen bonds
GUANINE pairs with CYTOSINE with three hydrogen bonds

Question 25

what is the Antiparallel in DNA

Answer 25

The two different strands of the DNA double helix run in opposite directions. At each end of the double helix, one strand is 5’ and the other is 3’.

Question 26

What bonds the nitrogenous bases

Answer 26

hydrogen bonds

Question 27

Draw a diagram of DNA structure as two antiparallel strands

Answer 27

Refer to figure 5

Question 28

similarities and differences in DNA and RNA structure

Answer 28

-Both RNA and DNA are polymers of nucleotides with a sugar–
phosphate backbone.
-the type of pentose sugar within the nucleotide is different
-number of polymer strands are different aswell
-nitrogenous bases used in the nucleotide.

Question 29

similarities and differences in the function of the molecule. (DNA and RNA)

Answer 29

DNA:
-Passes heredity information between generations of cells
-Codes for making RNA during transcription

RNA:
- Codes for making proteins during translation
-mRNA, rRNA, and tRNA are the three main types of RNA involved in protein synthesis

Question 30

what is the differences between DNA and RNA is the where in the cell the molecules are located in a Eukaryotic Cell.

Answer 30

-Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus (where it is called nuclear DNA).
-All types of RNA are made in the nucleus during transcription and then transported out of the nuclear pores to the cytoplasm for translation.

Question 31

What is the difference between DNA and RNA is the where in the cell the molecules are located in a Prokaryotic Cell.

Answer 31

-RNA in prokaryotes is found in the cytoplasm
-DNA in prokaryotes is contained in a central area of the cell called the nucleoid, which is not surrounded by a nuclear membrane.
–> Many prokaryotes also carry small, circular DNA molecules called plasmids.

Question 32

State the complementarity is based on hydrogen bonding

Answer 32

-A-T (adenine-thymine) in DNA, or A-U (adenine-uracil) in RNA: 2 hydrogen bonds.
-C-G (cytosine-guanine): 3 hydrogen bonds.
-These bonds stabilize the structure of DNA and RNA by linking the complementary strands together.

Question 33

Sketch the difference between ribose and deoxyribose

Answer 33

refer to figure 6

Question 34

Why. is there a limitless diversity of DNA base sequences

Answer 34

These bases can be in any order in a DNA strand of any length. Therefore, in a DNA strand of n base pairs long, the are 4n possible sequences.

Question 35

Define universal in relation to the genetic code

Answer 35

The genetic code is universal, which means that with just a few variations, all living organisms use this same genetic code. Even viruses use this same code