Nucleic Acids Flashcards
Nucleic Acids
Polymers of nucleotides
Nucleotides
Monomers of nucleic acids
Functional groups of: nucleic acids
- phosphate (phosphoric acid)
- pentose sugar
- nitrogen-containing base
Polymers of nucleic acids
- DNA
- RNA
DNA
Deoxyriboucleic acid
- pentose sugar doesn’t have O (“deoxy”)
- stores genetic info
- 4 nucleotide bases
- alpha double helix structure (H-bonds)
- phosphate-sugar-p-s-p poles
DNA nucleotide bases
- A Adenine
- T Thymine
- G Guanine
- C Cytosine
RNA
Ribonucleic acid
- intermediary in the sequencing of amino acids into a protein
- pentose sugar is ribose
- structure is single strand with unmatched nucleotides attached
- 3 classes of RNA
RNA shape
Can be straight or shape caused by complimentary nucleotides on the same strand pairing with each other once it’s folded over
RNA nucleotide bases
- A Adenine
- U Uracil
- G Guanine
- C Cytosine
3 Classes of RNA
- mRNA
- rRNA
- tRNA
mRNA
messenger RNA
-produced by RNA polymerase in the nucleus transcribed from a segment of DNA
rRNA
ribosome RNA
- makes up ribosome (along with proteins)
- glomps onto mRNA?
tRNA
transfer RNA
- transfers amino acids to ribosomes
- matches 3 anticodon w/3 codon in the nucleotide pattern of mRNA sequence and moves from A-P-E to make a polypeptide chain (initiates @ P)
Purines
Has a double Carbon ring structure
“All Girls are Pure”
-always bonded to a pyrimidine
Pyrimidines
Has a single Carbon ring structure
- U, G, C
- always bonded to a purine
Complimentary Base Pairing
H-bonding between particular N-bases.
DNA: A-T, G-C
RNA: A-U, G-C
DNA Replication
Synthesis of 2 new & identical DNA double helix strands from 1 ‘parent’ DNA
- semiconservative
- 3 steps
DNA: Semiconservative
DNA replication synthesizes 2 new DNA from the original 1 DNA (used as a template for the ‘daughter’ strands)
-creates something from something, not something from nothing
DNA replication
Step 1
DNA Helicase unwinds the double helix and unzips it (breaks the H-bonds connecting the complimentary base pairs down the middle of the ladder)
DNA replication
Step 2
DNA Polymerase uses complimentary base pairing to find the corresponding N-base nucleotides floating around in the nucleus and holds them in place against the parents strands.
DNA replication
Step 3
DNA Ligase zips and fixes any breaks in the P-S-P-S poles of the 2 new ‘daughter’ helices.
-2 identical strands identical to original DNA molecule
ATP
Adenosine TriPhosphate
- another function of the monomer Adenine
- energy-storing molecule
- Adenine-Ribose-P-P-P
- energy stored in the bond between the 2 & 3 Ps
- released through hydrolysis (ATP -> ADP)
