KA1-Structure of DNA Flashcards
What is DNA?
A complex molecule found in the nucleus of all living cells
What is DNA the molecule of?
Inheritance
What does DNA store?
The genetic code in its sequence of bases
What does the genetic code determine?
The sequence of amino acids and proteins
What do proteins determine?
An organism’s characteristic
What does nucleotides consist of?
A 5 carbon sugar, a phosphate group and one of the 4 bases
What is DNA made of?
Repeating units called nucleotides
What makes the sugar-phosphate backbone?
When the sugar of one nucleotide joins with the phosphate of the next nucleotide with strong covalent bonds at carbon 3 and 5
What does the sugar-phosphate backbone result in?
A chain of nucleotides making up one strand of DNA
What is one strand of DNA?
Anti-parallel; runs 3’ to 5’
What is complementary base pairing?
When only certain bases pair together
What holds the two strands together?
Weak hydrogen bonds between the bases
What are polynucleotide strands?
When each of the two strands is made of many nucleotides
