Nucleic Acids Flashcards
Besides storing genetic information, what are some other functions of nucleotides?
Carry genetic information
Structural components of tRNA, ribosomes, spliceosomes, etc.
Energy metabolism
Cellular signaling
What are ribosomes?
Catalysts for transcribing mRNA into protein
What is DNA a polymer of? RNA?
DNA is a polymer of deoxyribonucleotides.
RNA is a polymer of ribonucleotides.
Give the general formula of a nucleotide.
phosphate + pentose sugar + nitrogenous base
What are the 2 pentose sugars that can be in a nucleotide?
Ribose and deoxyribose.
List the five different nitrogen-containing bases.
Adenine (A)
Guanine (G)
Thymine (T) or Uracil (U)
Cytosine (C)
What is the maximum number of phosphates that can be present in a phosphate group?
3
What types of bonds hold the phosphates together in the phosphate groups of nucleotides?
phosphoanhydride bonds
Provide the general equation for a nucleoside.
sugar + base
Differentiate between pyrimidines and purines.
Pyrimidines have a single ring, purines have a double ring.
List the pyrimidines.
Thymine, Cytosine and Uracil
List the purines.
Adenine and Guanine
Which base is this an image of?
Adenine (A)
Which base is this an image of?
Guanine (G)
Which base is this?
Cytosine (C)
Which base is this?
Thymine (T)
Which base is this?
Uracil (U)
Draw uracil.
Draw thymine.
Draw guanine.
Draw cytosine.
Draw adenine.
What are the differences between ribose and 2-deoxyribose?
Ribose has an OH group at 2’ carbon and is the building block of RNA.
2-deoxyribose lacks the OH group at the 2’ carbon and is the building block of DNA.
Which sugar is this?
Ribose
Which sugar is this?
Deoxyribose
Draw deoxyribose.
Draw ribose.
How do we differentiate between the carbons in the nitrogenous base and the carbons in the ribose sugar?
Carbons in the nitrogenous base are numbered normally while carbons of the ribose sugar are numbered with a prime
How are purines connected to their sugars?
Nitrogen 9 is connected to 1’ carbon of the ribose sugar.
How are pyrimidines connected to their ribose sugar?
Nitrogen 1 is connected to the 1’ carbon of the ribose sugar.
Name this nucleoside. Number the carbons.
Adenosine
Name this nucleoside. Number the carbons.
What carbon of the ribose sugar attaches to the phosphate group in a nucleotide?
5’
