Central Dogma of Molecular Biology Flashcards
The two main types of nucleic acids are
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)
2. Ribonucleic Acid (RNA)
the most important macromolecules for the continuity of life
Nucleic Acids
the substance of eukaryotic chromosomes
chromatin
genetic material found in all living organisms
DNA
You can find these in DNA
nucleus of eukaryotes and in the organelles, chloroplasts, and mitochondria
may contains tens of thousands of genes
chromosome
DNA controls all of the cellular activities by turning the genes
on and off
DNA and RNA are made up of monomers known as
nucleotides
mostly involved in protein synthesis
RNA
The DNA molecules never leave the nucleus but instead use an
intermediary to communicate with the rest of the cell
The nucleotides combine with each other to form a
polynucleotide
Each nucleotide is made up of three components
- Nitrogenous base
- Pentose (five-carbon) sugar
- Phosphate group
important components of nucleotides, are organic molecules
nitrogenous bases
four possible nitrogenous bases:
denine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T)
These are classified as purines
Adenine and guanine
The primary structure of a purine is
two carbon-nitrogen rings
These are classified as pyrimidines
Cytosine, thymine, and uracil
have a single carbon-nitrogen ring as their primary structure
pyrimidines
has a double-helix structure
DNA
This means A can pair with T, and G can pair with C
complementary rule
mainly involved in the process of protein synthesis under the direction of DNA
Ribonucleic acid or RNA
usually single-stranded and is made of ribonucleotides that are linked by phosphodiester bonds
RNA
DNA dictates the structure of mRNA in a process known as
transcription
RNA dictates the structure of protein in a process known as
translation
