Nucleic acids

Question 1

2 main types of nucleic acids

Answer 1

1. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

2. Ribonucleic acid (RNA)

Question 2

What is nucleic acids?

Answer 2

consist of either one or two long chains of repeating units (nucleotides)

Question 3

Nucleotides consist of a ___ attached to a sugar phosphate backbone.

Answer 3

a nitrogen base (a purine or pyrimidine)

Question 4

If the sugar is ribose, the polymer is ___

Answer 4

RNA

Question 5

If the sugar is deoxyribose, the polymer is ___

Answer 5

DNA

Question 6

Building blocks of DNA/RNA consist of

Answer 6

• pentose sugar (5 carbon sugar)
• a nitrogenous base
• a phosphate group (acidic)

Question 7

All 3 components (pentose sugar, nitrogenous base & phosphate group) are linked through ____ reactions.

Answer 7

condensation

Question 8

What is polynucleotide synthesis?

Answer 8

phosphate of one nucleotide is joined to the pentose of the next nucleotide by phosphodiester bond

Question 9

What is polynucleotide chain?

Answer 9

the 5’ position of one pentose sugar is connected to the 3’ position of the next pentose sugar by a phosphate group

Question 10

Who propose structure of DNA?

Answer 10

Watson & Crick (1953)

Question 11

DNA consists of

Answer 11

two polynucleotide chains coiled together in a double helix

Question 12

The two chains of DNA are in ____orientation

Answer 12

anti-parallel

opposite directions

Question 13

What are the components that form backbones outside of helix for DNA?

Answer 13

• sugar (deoxyribose)

- phosphate

Question 14

Nitrogenous bases are ___ inside the helix & held by___.

Answer 14

• paired

- H bonds

Question 15

What are the specific pairing of nitrogenous base?

Answer 15

1. A&T

2. G&C

Question 16

DNA structure is stablised by

Answer 16

• H bonds between paired bases

- Hydrophobic forces between stacked bases

Question 17

Diameter of DNA helix

Answer 17

2 nm

Question 18

Distance between base pairs

Answer 18

0.34 nm

Question 19

A complete turn of DNA helix consists of ___ base pairs with a distance of ___.

Answer 19

• 10

- 3.4 nm

Question 20

What is the function of DNA?

Answer 20

to store & transmit genetic information

Question 21

The sequence of bases acts as information storage in the form of___to build protein.

Answer 21

codes

Question 22

Base pairing allows ___ of complementary strand.

Answer 22

replication

copying of genetic information to pass on to next generation

Question 23

The structure of RNA

Answer 23

short, single stranded polymer consists of RNA nucleotides

Question 24

Function of ribosomal RNA (rRNA)

Answer 24

rRNA combined with proteins to form ribosomes

Question 25

Function of messenger RNA (mRNA)

Answer 25

contains genetic information copied from DNA

Question 26

Function of transfer RNA (tRNA)

Answer 26

transfer amino acids from cytoplasm to ribosome