Nucleic Acids Flashcards
What is DNA?
long-term storage molecule for genetic information
Whats the functional difference between DNA and RNA?
DNA - long term storage
RNA - short term storage
What are nucleotides and what are they made up of?
- nucleotides are monomers that make up DNA and RNA
- made up of:
1. Phosphate
2. Nitrogenous base
3. Monosaccharide (sugar molecule)
Whats the difference between the monosaccharide in DNA and RNA and how does that determine their characteristics?
DNA - deoxyribose (1 less OH)
- more stable
- double stranded
RNA - ribose
- less stable
- single stranded
What are the pyrimidines nitrogenous bases and which ones are only found in DNA and RNA?
Cytosine, uracile (RNA), and thymine (DNA)
What are the purines nitrogenous bases and which ones are only found in DNA and RNA?
Guanine and Adenine (both are found in RNA and DNA)
What is the bond between the phosphate and the sugar of another nucleotide (3 to 5)?
Phosphodiester
What are nucleotide triphosphates and whats the most common one?
energy currency, breaking the bonds produce a lot of energy for cellular functions
most common one is ATP
What are NPTs and what are their functions?
NTPs are ribonucleotide triphosphates
They serve as one of the reactants that are added to the growing nucleic acid by RNA polymerase during RNA transcription
What are dNTPs and what are their functions?
dNTPs are deoxyribosenucleotides and are used by DNA polymerase to replicate DNA
What nucleotides are used in metabolism?
NAD(P) and FAD
Describe the bonds between C/G and A/T
CG, 3 hydrogen bonds
AT, 2 hydrogen bonds
Whats the direction of phosphodiester backbones?
Antiparallel in the 5’ to 3’
Where is the anormeric carbon?
5’
What are the nitrogenous base pairs?
A/T (DNA)
A/U (RNA)
C/G
