Nucleic Acids Flashcards
what are the two types of nucleic acids?
deoxyribonucleic acid: dna
ribonucleic acid: rna
what is dna?
- dna is genetic information that organisms inherit from their parents.
- dna provides the information for controlling the cells activities.
- directs the synthesis of mRNA.
- through mRNA, the cells proteins are made.
what is the central dogma of molecular biology?
the central dogma describes the flow of genetic information within a biological system.
DNA => RNA => PROTEIN
nucleic acids are made up of monomers called?
nucleotides: sugar, phosphate group, nitrogenous base.
what is the sugar in nucleotides?
in dna: deoxyribose
in rna: ribose
what is the difference between deoxyribose and ribose?
the primary difference lies in the structure. in deoxyribose, the 2’ carbon atom lacks an oxygen atom. it has a hydrogen atom instead of a hydroxyl group at the 2’ carbon.
what are nitrogenous bases in dna and rna?
dna: adenine, guanine, thymine, cytosine
rna: adenine, guanine, uracil, cytosine
nitrogenous bases can belong to one of two classes which are?
pyrimidines and purines.
what are pyrimidines?
pyrimidines: cytosine, thymine, uracil
- single ring structure: 6 membered ring.
- found in both dna and rna
what are purines?
purine: adenine, guanine
- double ring structure: 6 membered ring + 5 membered ring.
- found in both dna and rna
what are the monomers used to make dna?
deoxyribonucleotides.
what are the monomers used to make rna?
ribonucleotides.
nucleic acids exist as?
polynucleotides.
what is the sugar-phosphate backbone?
the sugar-phosphate backbone is the structural framework that forms the backbone of nucleic acids such as dna and rna. the phosphate joins the sugars of the nucleotides together forming the sugar phosphate backbone.
what is a phosphodiester bond?
the phosphodiester bond joins the nucleotides together.
how to number carbons in nitrogenous bases and sugar.
the carbons in the nitrogenous bases are numbered with ordinary numbers like 1,2,3.
the sugars in the nitrogenous bases are numbered with 1’,2’,3’.
what does the phosphodiester bond form between?
the 3’ hydroxyl group of one nucleotides sugar and the 5’ phosphate group of the next nucleotide.
dna consists of?
two separate dna polymers called strands (polynucleotides).
- these strands are twisted around eachother to form a double helix.
the strands are held together by?
hydrogen bonds between the nitrogenous bases.
the nitrogenous bases are paired in specific combination which is?
A-T OR A-U
C-G
the two strands in a dna double helix are?
oriented in opposite directions/antiparallel
dna replicates in what fashion?
semi-conservative fashion. after replication, each dna strand molecule is 50% parental and 50% new dna.
daughter dna molecule consists of?
one parental strand and one new strand.
