DNA and RNA Flashcards
The Levels of Sturcture in DNA:
- Primary Structure
- Secondary Structure
- Tertiary Structure
- Quaternary Structure
Primary Structure of DNA:
- the order of bases on the polynecleotide sequence (specifies genetic code)
- 3 letters (bases) = 1 amino acid
Chargaff’s Rules
[Pyrimindines]-[Purines]
Base Pairing & H-Bonds:
- DNA formed by two complementary antiparrallel strands
- base pairing & H-Bonds are very important to gold strands together
- [A]-[T] (2 H-Bonds)
- [G]-[C] (3 H-Bonds)
Secondary Structure: Helical
- Nitrogen base (steps in the ladder) where info is protected
- Pentose sugar (handrails) for structure
- Phosphate group (exposed negative side) for structure
- Two strand antiparallel
- Small groove & large groove & complete turn
- Basic connection (via H-Bonds)
Diameter is about 20A
The other Secondary Structure - also Helical but not so popular: A-Form
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- Thicker, shorter distance
- Presents in DNA-RNA duplexes
The other Secondary Structure - also Helical but not so popular: B-Form
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- The most common in genomic DNA
- The most stable under physiological conditions
The other Secondary Structure - also Helical but not so popular: Z-Form
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- Left-handed
- less common
Tertiary Structure:
- DNA Supercoiling
- cellular DNA is extermely compacted (helix is super coiled) to save space
Quanternary Structure:
- DNA wrapping up proteins
In eukaryotes DNA is complexed with positively-charged proteins to form chromatin - Histones (positive proteins)
- Nucleosome: DNA (negative wrapped around 8 histones (positive)
- 150 base pairs are in contact with the proteins
Packaged into chromosomes and safely located inside the nucleus
Why is DNA structure important?
structure allows function
DNA as a template:
- DNA helix is denatured to allow replication
- Each strand of DNA helix acts as a template for new complementary strand
- Semiconservative replication (i.e. Each daughter molecule has one old strand & one new strand)
Dependent on complementary bas pairing
DNA Replication:
- Helicase: unwinds helix to form replication fork
- Primase: Synthesises short RNA primers, complementary to template
- DNA polymerase: reds strand being copied and links complementary nucleotides to form new strand
- leading strand and lagging strand
- leading strand is synthesised continuously from template
- lagging strand is synthesised with fragments (Okazaki fragments)
- DNA ligase joins Okazaki fragments and seals the gaps in the newly sythesised short strands
DNA vs RNA: Pentose
DNA: Deoxyribose
RNA: Ribose
DNA vs RNA: n Base
DNA: Thymine
RNA: Uracyl