cell genetic material duplication Flashcards
nucleotides are the _______ of nucleic acids
building blocks
what does DNA stand for
deoxyribonucleic acid
what does RNA stand for
ribonucleic acid
what are nucleic acids made of
4 nucleotides
what are nucleotides composed of
base, sugar and a phosphate group
how do nucleotides make nucleic acid
by linking to eachother
growth of a nucleic acid from its monomers occurs where?
5’ (phosphate) to 3’ (hydroxyl) direction
what do hydrogen bonds between bases hold together?
2 DNA strands
how are hydrogen bonds formed
purine and pyrimidines bases (complementary base pairing)
van der Waals forces occur??
between adjacent bases on same strand
the 2 strands of DNA are
antiparallel
what makes the backbone of DNA
phosphate and sugar molecules
what does each sugar-phosphate backbone have?
5’ phosphate and a 3’ hydroxyl (OH) group (opposite directions)
what shape is DNA
double right-handed helix
what does the coiling of DNA strands create
two grooves (exposed to major and minor grooves)