Macromolecules: Nucleic Acids Flashcards
Polymer
A large molecule made up of repeating subunits
Monomer for Nucleic Acids
Nucleotides
what is a nucleotide
The building block of nucleic acids (DNA) and (RNA)
The three parts of a nucleic Acid
- Phosphate Group
- Five-carbon sugar
- Nitrogenous Base
Five-Carbon sugar
Deoxyribose (DNA) or ribose (RNA)
Phosphate group function
Provides a negative charge
Nitrogenous base
A molecule containing nitrogen that acts as a building block of Nucleotides
Purine
Double-ring Structure, Adenine and Guanine
Pyrimidines
Single-ring structure, cytosine, Thymine, and Uracil
Adenine
Purine, bonds to Thymine (T) or Uracil (U)
Guanine
Purine, bonds to Cytosine (C)
Cytosine
Pyrimidine, bonds to Guanine (G)
Thymine
Pyrimidine, bonds to Adenine (A), only in DNA
Uracil
Pyrimidine, bonds to Adenine (A), only in RNA
Nitrogenous base links to which Carbon
The First Carbon
Which Carbon links to the phosphate group
The Fifth Carbon
Ribose
Five carbon sugar in RNA
Deoxyribose
Five Carbon sugar found in DNA
Polymerization
Polymerization is the process by which monomers link together to form large macromolecules (polymers) through chemical reactions
Condensation Reaction
A condensation reaction is when two molecules combine to form a larger molecule, releasing a small molecule like water (H₂O)
Hydrolysis
Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction in which water (H₂O) is added to break down a larger molecule into smaller components.
ATP
ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) is the primary energy carrier in cells, providing energy for various biological processes.
ATP uses
ATP is required for linking amino acids into proteins.
ATP is involved in the polymerization of nucleotides to form DNA and RNA.
ATP Energy Key points
Energy is stored in the high-energy bonds between phosphate groups.
Hydrolysis of ATP releases energy by breaking the bond between the second and third phosphate group
Semi-conservative
Each strand serves as a template to build new strands
Nucleic acid primary structure
Nucleotide sequence
DNA secondary structure
Double Helix
RNA secondary structure
Local folding of the RNA strands, creating hairpins and loops
Secondary structure for Both DNA and RNA is bonded by
Hydrogen bonds
DNA Tertiary
DNA starts to coil to make super coils, which coil around proteins
DNA Quaternary
Coiling Chromatin
RNA Tertiary
Forms 3D shapes
RNA Quaternary
Several RNA associate
DNA Replication
Semi-conservative
RNA Replication
There is no template
DNA function
Long term data storage
Contains the instructions for building and maintaining an organism
Provides the template for RNA synthesis
RNA Function
Data usage
Short term storage
tRNA
Transports amino acids to the ribosome during protein synthesis, ensuring that the correct amino acids are added to the growing polypeptide chain
mRNA
Carries genetic information from the DNA in the nucleus to ribosomes in the cytoplasm, where protein synthesis occurs (translation)
Step 1 of semi-conservative replication
Strand Separation:
Molecule unzips, hydrogen bonds break, requires heat or enzymes
Step 2 of semi-conservative replication
Base pairing:
Attach to base pairing
Step 3 of semi-conservative replication
Polymerization
Chemical Evolution
The assumption simple chemicals became the first cells
Evolution needs
Heritable variation
The variation to aid survival
To be able to replicate
Ribozymes
The Tertiary structure of RNA, allows them to act as catalysts
Phosphodiester Linkage
A phosphodiester linkage is a type of bond that links nucleotides together in the backbone of DNA and RNA molecules
It forms between the phosphate group of one nucleotide and the sugar (specifically the 3’ carbon of the sugar) of another nucleotide
