DNA + RNA Flashcards
Nucleotides ( diagram ) :
- pentose sugar ( deoxyribose in DNA, ribose in RNA )
- phosphate group
- nitrogenous base ( adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine and uracil )
What are nucleic acids?
Nuclear acids are polymers of nucleotides ( polynucleotides ). Nucleotides are therefore their monomers.
What are the nitrogenus bases in DNA?
Adenine is complementary to thymine.
Cytosine is complementary to guanine.
What are the nitrogenous bases in RNA?
Adenine is complementary to uracil.
Cytosine is complementary to guanine.
- uracil replaces thymine
What are the nitrogenous bases in RNA?
Adenine is complementary to uracil.
Cytosine is complementary to guanine.
- uracil replaces thymine
How are polynucleotide formed?
Many nucleotides join together to form polynucleotides chains. They join up via a condensation reaction between the phosphate group of one nucleotide and the pentose sugar of another. This is called a phosphodiester bond. The chain of phosphates and sugars is known as a sugar - phosphate bond.
What is the bond between adjacent nuceotides called?
Phosphodiester.
What’s bonds form between the nitrogenous bases in DNA?
Hydrogen.
What is the structure of DNA?
DNA has a double helix structure. These double strands are referred to as being anti - parallel meaning one strand is upside down compared to the other. DNA molecules are long and coiled up tightly.
How is the structure of DNA related to its function?
DNAs function is to pass information from cell to cell.
- it is very stable because of the many hydrogen and phosphodiester bonds
- the two separate strands are joined by hydrogen bonds so can be easily unzipped in DNA replication and protein synthesis
- large molecule + coiled + double helix so lots of information can be stored in a relatively small space
- base pairs ( which code for proteins ) are protected by sugar phosphate by sugar phosphate backbone
- DNA is an information carrying molecule. Its sequence of bases determines the structure of proteins including enzymes
Phosphodiester bond definition:
The bonds which form between adjacent nucleotides.
Phosphodiester bond definition:
The bonds which form between adjacent nucleotides.
Nucleotide definiton:
The monomers of nucleic acids.
Nucleotide definiton:
The monomers of nucleic acids.
Sugar - phosphate backbone definition:
The pentose sugar joined to the adjacent nucleotides by a phosphodiester bond which protects the nitrogenous base.
