Nucleic Acids and Nucelotides Flashcards
Draw, and label, the basic structure of a nucleotide.
A phosphate group attached to a nitrogenous base attached to a pentose sugar.
They all contain the elements H, P, O, N
Draw a nucleotide showing the structure of the pentose sugar and where the phosphate group and nitrogenous base attach using the standard system for numbering the carbons in the sugar.
The phosphate group attaches to the 5’ (prime) carbon.
The base attaches to the 1’ carbon of the pentose.
State the two main types of nucleic acid.
Deoxyribonucleic acid
Ribonucleic acid
Draw a table to show the similarities and differences between the nucleotides of DNA and RNA.
- DNA= deoxyribose, RNA= ribose
- DNA and RNA both have adenine and guanine purines
- DNA and RNA both have cytosine BUT DNA= Thymine, RNA= Uracil pyradimines
Draw the structures of ribose and deoxyribose and identify the difference between the two pentose sugars.
Deoxyribose- on 2’ carbon only has an -H below
Ribose- on 2’ carbon has an -OH below
List the full names of the 5 possible nitrogenous bases in nucleic acids.
- Guanine- Purine
- Adenine- Purine
- Thymine- Pyrimidine
- Cytosine- Pyrimidine
- Uracil- Pyrimidine
Outline the structure of the two types of nitrogenous base.
Purines- larger bases which contain a double carbon ring structure
Pyrimidines- smaller bases which contain a single carbon ring structure
Define the term monomer
An individual molecule that makes up a polymer.
Define the term polymer
A long-chain molecule composed of bonded multiple individual monomers in a repeating pattern
Define the term nucleic acid
Large polymers formed from nucleotides. Contain C, N, P, H, O
Define the term polynucleotide
A molecule made up of lots of nucleotide joined together in a long chain.
Define the term nucleotide
The monomers used to form nucleic acids. Made up of pentose monosaccharide, a phosphate group and a nitrogenous base.
Define the term phosphodiester bond
Covalent bonds formed between the phosphate group of one nucleotide and the hydroxyl group of another.
Draw and label a diagram to show how nucleotides can link together to form polynucleotides (including the production of water).
The phosphate group of the 2nd nucleotide bonds to the hydroxyl group of the 3’ carbon of the pentose sugar in the 1st nucleotide to form a phosphodiester bond. This forms a strong, long sugar-phosphate backbone.
This releases a water moleucules
State the name of the reaction that joins nucleotides to other nucleotides and the name of the reaction that breaks phosphodiester bonds.
Condensation reaction- releases water
Hydrolysis reaction- breaks the bond using water
State 3 main types of activity for which cells require energy.
- Anabolic reactions- synthesis of large molecules
- Movement- e.g protein fibres in muscle cells that cause muscle contraction
- Transportation of ions and molecules across the membrane.
Draw and label a diagram of ATP
Has 3 phosphate groups, the base adenine and ribose.
ATP (adenosine triphosphate)
Draw and label a diagram of ADP.
Has 2 phosphate groups, the base adenine and ribose.
ADP (adenosine diphosphate)
List 2 similarities and 2 differences between the structure of ATP and DNA and RNA nucleotides.
- RNA and ATP both have a ribose sugar, but DNA had deoxyribose.
- DNA and RNA both have 1 phosphate group, but ATP has 3.
- They all have one base.
Draw a reaction to show how energy is released from ATP to provide energy for cellular activities.
Energy is stored in the phosphate bond, when energy is needed ATP is broken down to ADP and inorganic phosphate. Energy is released from the phosphate bond and used by the cell.
Draw a diagram to show the interconversion of ATP and ADP, the names of the types of reactions involved, where energy is released and the role of respiration.
Hydrolysis- ADP, P and energy is produced from ATP and H2O (energy is release for use by cells)
Condensation- ATP and water is produced from ADP and P (energy is supplied from respiration)
State 5 properties of ATP and explain why each makes it ideally suited to function as an energy transfer molecule.
- Small- moves easily into, out of and within cells
- Water soluble- energy-requiring processes happen in aquoeus environments.
- Contains bonds between phosphates- with intermediate energy large enough to be useful for cellular reactions but not so large that energy is wasted
- Releases energy is small quantities- quantities are suitable to most cellular needs, so energy is wasted as heat.
- Easily regenerated- can be recharged with energy
Define the term phosphorylation
The addition of a phosphate group to a molecule
Draw and label a diagram of the structure of DNA.
DNA is composed of two polynucleotide strands joined together by hydrogen bonding in a double-helix shape.
The two polynucleotide strands are anti parallel- this means they run in opposite directions.
