NUCLEIC ACIDS Flashcards
polymers that consist of nucleotide residues
nucleic acids
elemental composition of nucleic acid
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus
energy rich compounds that drive metabolic process in cell
nucleotides
each nucleotide is formed by 3 units
phosphate, sugar, nitrogenous base
contains 3 monovalent hydroxyl group and a divalent oxygen atom
phosphoric acid
2 types of nitrogenous base
purine and pyrimidine
purines
adenine, guanine
pyrimidine
uracil, thymine, cytosine
when ribose or 2-deoxyribose is combined with purine or pyrimidine base
nucleoside
material of inheritance
DNA
DNA is discovered by
Frankilin, Watson, and Crick
bases are joined by
hydrogen bonds
sequence of its nucleotide residue
primary structure
helix formed by two DNA strands
secondary structure
3d shape, arises from supercoiling where double helix is being twisted into compact shape
tertiary structure
long unbranched macromolecule consisting of nucleotides joined by 3’ to 5’ phosphodiester bonds
RNA
transfers genetic info from genes to ribosomes to synthesize proteins
mRNA
transfers amino acids to mRNA for protein synthesis
tRNA
provides structural framework for ribosomes
rRNA
the process by which a replica or identical copy of DNA is made when a cell divides
replication
the process by which the genetic messages contained in DNA are read and copied
transcription
the process by which the genetic messages are decoded and used to build proteins
translation
4 steps in transcription
initiation
elongation
termination
processing
3 steps in translation
inititation
elongation
termination
series of three ribonucleotides that code for specific amino acids
codons
contains two or more DNA segments not found together in nature
recombinant DNA
