Nucleic Acids

Question 1

Nucleic Acids

Answer 1

Informational macromolecules that store hereditary information that determines structural and functional characteristics –> are the only molecules that can copy themselves

Question 2

Nucleic Polymers

Answer 2

Polymer of nucleotides = strand, bonded by phosphodiester bonds between phosphate and hydroxyl group, forming sugar-phosphate backbone

Question 3

DNA vs RNA

Answer 3

DNA: provides instructions for creating proteins (deoxyribose sugar, thymine, double-stranded)
RNA: reads information in DNA and transports to ribosomes
(ribose sugar, uracil, single-stranded)

Question 4

Nucleotide

Answer 4

Consists a sugar with a phosphate group and a nitrogenous base
(ribose has an OH group below 2’ C, while deoxyribose has only a H)

Question 5

Nitrogenous Bases

Answer 5

Cytosine and Thymine: pyrimidines (single-ringed)
Guanine and Adenine: purines (double-ringed)
CG = 3 H-bonds, AT = 2 H-bonds

Question 6

DNA Structure

Answer 6

Antiparallel, double helix, making it more stable than RNA