General Overview of DNA

Question 1

What does DNA stand for?

Answer 1

deoxyribose nucleic acid

Question 2

What does RNA stand for?

Answer 2

ribonucleic acid

Question 3

Where are DNA and RNA found?

Answer 3

in the nucleus

Question 4

What is the building block of DNA?

Answer 4

dNTP = deoxyribonucleoside 5’ triphosphate

Question 5

What does the N stand for in dNTP?

Answer 5

N = one of the four basic nucleosides

Question 6

What are the three components of DNA?

Answer 6

deoxyribose sugar
aromatic, nitrogenous base
phosphate group

Question 7

What are the four aromatic nitrogenous bases that comprise DNA?

Answer 7

A = adenine
G = guanine
C = cytosine
T = thymine

Question 8

What is deoxyribose?

Answer 8

simple monosaccharide

Question 9

What are G and A derived from and what are their basic structure?

Answer 9

purine, double ring structure

Question 10

What are T and C derived from and what are their basic structure?

Answer 10

pyrimidines, single ring structure

Question 11

How many phosphate groups can DNA have?

Answer 11

1, 2 or 3

Question 12

What are the nitrogenous bases considered bases?

Answer 12

contain several nitrogens which have free electron pairs capable of accepting protons

Question 13

What are nucleosides?

Answer 13

ribose with a purine or pyrimidine linked to the 1’ carbon

Question 14

How are the nucleoside components linked together?

Answer 14

beta-N-glycosidic linkage

Question 15

What are the nucleosides?

Answer 15

A-ribose = adenosine
G-ribose = guanosine
C-ribose = cytidine
T-ribose = thymidine
U-ribose = uridine

Question 16

What is the backbone of the nucleic acid?

Answer 16

sugar-phosphate portion of the nucleotide

Question 17

What is the variable portion of the nucleotide?

Answer 17

base (A, T, G, C)