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, N, 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