Cell Biology Chapter 3 Nucleic Acid

Question 1

Nucleic acids are of vital importance to what? What are they? What is DNA and RNA?

Answer 1

to the cells because they store, transmit, and express genetic information; they are linear polymers of nucleotides; Deoxyribonucleic acid and RNA is ribonucleic acid

Question 2

What is the primary functions of genetic material?

Answer 2

Storage of genetic information- instructions for all characteristics of a cell; Replication and inheritance- information for synthesis of genetic material to be transmitted to daughter cells; Expression of genetic message- directions for cell activity

Question 3

DNA and RNA differ how? What does DNA contain, what does DNA serve? What does RNA contain and what roles does RNA play?

Answer 3

differ chemically and in their role in the cell; contains the 5-carbon deoxyribose; serves as the repository of genetic information; contains the 5-carbon sugar ribose; plays several roles in expressing DNA’s information

Question 4

RNA and DNA each consist of what?

Answer 4

of only 4 different types of nucleotides, the monomeric units

Question 5

Each nucleotide consist of what 4 things?

Answer 5

5-carbon sugar; phosphate group attached to C-5 of the sugar; N-containing aromatic base attached to C1 of the sugar; each base is either a purine (2 rings) or a pyrimidine (1 ring)

Question 6

Nucleic acids are what? How are they linked?

Answer 6

Linear polymers of nucleotides; linked by a covalent phosphodiester bond between the C-5 Phosphate of the sugar and the C-3 OH of the next sugar of the nucleotides

Question 7

How are polynucleotide formed?

Answer 7

formed by this process has a directionality with a 5’ phosphate group at one end and a 3’ hydroxyl group at the other

Question 8

How are nucleotide sequences conventionally written? How are the 2 strands held together?Hydrogen bonds fit within the helix only when they form between what?

Answer 8

5’ to 3’ direction; held by hydrogen bonding between purine-pyrimidine bases on opposite strands; complementary bases: adenine with thymine and guanine and cytosine

Question 9

What is a template?

Answer 9

a preexisiting molecule is used to ensure that new nucleotides are added in the correct order and correct base pairing between the template and incoming nucleotide is required to specify correct order

Question 10

Complementary base pairing allows what? Base pairing is a fundamental property of what?

Answer 10

A to form 2 hydrogen bonds with T and G to form 3 hydrogen bonds with C; property of nucleic acids

Question 11

To form the double DNA helix the strands need to be what? RNA is normally what? RNA can form what? Pairing is usually between what?

Answer 11

antiparallel- 5 to 3 and 3 to 5 and complementary- base pairing; single stranded; secondary structures that also depends on base pairing; bases in different areas of the same molecule and is less extensive than that of DNA