Nucleic Acids Flashcards
1
Q
What does DNA stand for?
A
Deoxyribonucleic acid
2
Q
DNA is a polymer composed of…
A
Monomers called nucleotides
3
Q
What are the 3 parts of a nucleotide?
A
- Phosphate group [PO₄²⁻]
- Deoxyribose sugar
- A Nitrogenous base (A, T, C, G)
4
Q
What is a deoxyribose sugar?
A
A pentose (5 carbon) sugar
5
Q
What does A stand for?
A
Adenine
6
Q
What does T stand for?
A
Thymine
7
Q
What does C stand for?
A
Cytosine
8
Q
What does G stand for?
A
Guanine
9
Q
What is the difference between ribose and deoxyribose?
A
Deoxyribose has a little less oxygen
10
Q
What are the phosphoester bonds within the nucleotide?
A
- Condensation bonds which cause a loss of water
11
Q
How do nucleotides polymerise?
A
By forming phosphodiester (strong covalent) bonds between them
12
Q
Where to the phosphodiester bonds occur?
A
Between Carbon 3 of the sugar and an oxygen atom of the phosphate
13
Q
What kind of reaction is the formation of these bonds?
A
Condensation polymerisation
