Dna Function/ Structure Flashcards
What type of acid is dna?
Nucleic acid
What does dna stand for ?
Deoxyribonucleic acid.
What is function of dna?
Stores genetic information and instructions needed to grow/ develop from a fertilised egg to fully grown adult.
What is dna a polymer of ?
Nucleotides.
What is a nucleotide ?
Biological molecule.
3 different components - pentose sugar 5 carbons.
Nitrogen containing base.
Phosphate group.
What do many nucleotides join together to form ?
Polynucleotide strands.
How are polynucleotides formed ?
The nucleotides join up between the phosphate groups of one nucleotide and the sugar of another.
What is the bond that forms between the phosphate group and sugar?
Phosphodiester bond
Formed by condensation reaction.
What is the chain of phosphates and sugars known as ?
Sugar - phosphate backbone.
How has dna got a double helix structure ?
2 separate strands wound around each other to form spiral.
What are the strands in dna ?
Polynucleotides.
Make up of lots of nucleotides - joined together in long chain.
Dna are reallly long and coiled up tightly , why?
Wrapped around histones to be able to fit into nucleus as they’re so long containing a lot of genetic information.
What is the structure of dna nucleotide ?
Phosphate group.
Pentose sugar - deoxyribose.
Nitrogen containing base.
What is the same in every dna nucleotide molecule ?
The sugar and phosphate.
What is different in every dna nucleotide molecule ?
The base. Adenine Thymine Cytosine Guanine
