Biological Molecules : Neuclotides + Water Flashcards
What are nucleic acids ?
Group of the most important molecules
Best known nucleic acids
RNA and DNA
What does RNA stand for ?
Ribonucleic acid
What does DNA stand for ?
Deoxyribonucleic acid
What makes DNA recognisable ?
Double helix structure
What is a polynucleotide ?
Strand of DNA or RNA made from mononucleotides
Nucleotide structure: 3 components
- pentose sugar
- phosphate group
- a nitrogen containing organic base
Nucleotide structure: How are the 3 components joined ?
Condensation reaction to form.a mononucleotid e
Nucleotide structure: Bond when 2 mononucleotides join ?
Phosphodiester bond
Nucleotide structure: order of nucleotides
Mononucleotides + dinucleotide + polynucleotide
RNA : What is RNA ?
- A polymer made of nucleotides which transfers genetic material from DNA to ribosomes
- ribosomes made of protein and another type of RNA
- 3rd type involved in protein synthesis
RNA : Bases
Adenine
Uracil
Cytosine
Guanine
RNA : Pentose sugar
Ribose
DNA : who worked out the structure of DNA ?
James Watson and Francis Crick
DNA : Whose work did crick and Watson follow ?
Rosalind franklin
DNA : Bases
Adenine
Thymine
Cytosine
Guanine
DNA : pentose sugar
Deoxyribose
DNA : What is DNA made of ?
Double helix with 2 polynucleotide chains joined by hydrogen bonds between complimentary bases
Base pairing : specific pairing
A-T
G-C
Base pairing : Adenine is said to be ….. to thymine
Complimentary
Double helix : how is it formed ?
Uprights of phosphate and deoxyribose wind around
Function : phosphodiester backbone
Prevents organic bases reacting with the environment
Function : Long molecule
Store lots of information
Function : Double helix
Makes DNA compact
Function : Weak H bonds join base pairings
Easily broken for DNA replication
Function : Double stranded
Allow replication from template strands to occur
Function : Base sequence
Allows information to be stored
Function : Base stacking
Makes DNA stable
How is DNA replicated
- dna helical causes strands separate when H bonds break
- both strands act as templates
- free nucleotides attract and H bonds reform to complimentary base pairings
- DNA polymerase joins adjacent nucleotides
- semi conservative replication ( one old an one new)
Cell division : nuclear division
Nucleus divides (mitosis/meiosis)