Nucleic Acids Flashcards
common component of DNA and RNA
phosphate group
4 DNA bases
AGCT
4 RNA bases
AGCU
sugar of DNA
2-deoxyribose
reduced OH group on the 2’ position
sugar of RNA
ribose
structure of pyrimidine
one ring
2 N atoms labeled as 1 and 3
double bonds located 2,4,6
structure of purine
2 ring system (one pyrimidine-like and one imidazole-like)
4 nitrogen atoms at positions 1,3,7,9
double bonds at 1,4,6,8
pyrimidine bases
CUT
purine bases
AG
difference of nucleoside and nucleotide
base + sugar = nucleoside (base linked to a sugar via glycosidic bonds)
base + sugar + phosphate = nucleotide
nomenclature of nucleosides
-idine suffix if the base is pyrimidine
-osine suffix if the base is purine
nucleotides are what type of acids?
polyprotic
what are nucleic acids?
linear polymers of nucleotides linked 3’ to 5’ by phosphodiester bridges
3’,5’-phosphodiester bridges link nucleotides togethre to form polynucleotide chains.
orientation of 5’ and 3’ ends
5’ ends are on top
3’ ends on bottom
what are ribosomal RNA (rRNA)
-synthesized by ribosomes
-the basis of structure and function of ribosomes
what are mRNA?
carries the message for protein synthesis
what are transfer RNAs (tRNA)
carries amino acids for protein synthesis
explain the structure of DNA
-antiparallel in nature
-have opposite orientations (5’ to 3’ and 3’ to 5’)
the person who has first seen the image of DNA through X-ray fiber diffraction
Rosalind Franklin
scientist who has shown that DNA was a helix
Francis Crick
scientist who figured out H bonds
James Watson
difference between the two base pairs (AT and GC)
the number of H bonds
AT pair has 2 H bonds
GC pair has 3 H bonds
structure of DNA
-antiparallel double helix
-1.6 million nm length (E.coli)
-compact and folded (E. coli cell is only 2000 nm long)
-eukaryotic DNA wrapped around histone proteins to form nucleosomes
-Base pairs: AT GC
explain the structure of DNA
length of one turn: 3.4 nm
2 strands are antiparallel
contains major and minor groove
major groove: 2.2 nm
minor groove: 1.2 nm
diameter: 2 nm
right handed twist
what stabilizes the DNA double helix
-H bonds between base pairs
-electrostatic repulsions: mutual repulsion of phosphate groups which makes them most stable on the helix interior
-base pair packing interior
-right twist closes the gaps between base pairs to 3.4 A
what mechanism determines the nucleotide sequence of each newly synthesized strand
base pairing