Nucleic acids Flashcards
What are DNA and RNA?
Polynucleotides
What is the monomers of nucleic acids?
Nucleotides
What does DNA contain?
Genes
What are genes?
The way in which traits or characteristics are passed from one generation to the next
What do genes code for?
Proteins so control action of the cell
What does RNA allow?
It allows the genetic code on the DNA to be translated into proteins
What are the 3 types of RNA?
rRNA, mRNA and tRNA
What does rRNA mean?
Ribosomal RNA
What does mRNA mean?
Messenger RNA
What does tRNA mean?
Transfer RNA
What is rRNA?
It is part of the ribosome
What does mRNA do?
It carries the code to the ribosome
What does tRNA do?
It carries the amino acid to the ribosome to make the polypeptide according to the instructions of the mRNA
What is replication?
Making an exact copy of the DNA
What is the enzyme in replication?
DNA polymerase
What is transcription?
Synthesising mRNA from the code on the DNA
What is the enzyme in transcription?
RNA polymerase
What is translation?
Translating the code on the mRNA into a string of amino acids to make a protein
Where does translation occur?
At the ribosome
How are polynucleotides made?
From thousands of nucleotides joined together
What do nucleotides consist of?
A pentose (5 carbon) sugar, a phosphate group (acidic and negatively charged) and an organic nitrogenous base
What is the bond between a phosphate group and pentose sugar?
Ester bond
What is the bond between a pentose sugar and nitrogenous base?
A glycosidic bond
How are parts of nucleotides joined together?
By covalent bonds
What are the complimentary pairs?
A & T and C & G
How is the sugar-phosphate backbone made>
By condensation reacts to join the sugar and phosphate group of adjacent nucleotides
What bonds form between sugars and the phosphate group?
Strong covalent bonds called phosphodiester bonds
What is the difference between deoxyribose and ribose?
Deoxyribose can one less oxygen than ribose on carbon 2
