Nucleic Acids and Nucleotides Flashcards

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1
Q

What are nucleotides?

A

Subunits of Nucleic Acids

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2
Q

How do nucleic acids exist?

A

They exist as polymers = polynucleotides

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3
Q

What do polynucleotides consist of?

A

They consist of monomers called nucleotides

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4
Q

What three things are nucleotides composed of?

A

Nitrogenous base

Pentose (5 carbon sugar)

Phosphate group (s) (1-3)

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5
Q

What are nucleosides?

A

Molecules composed of nitrogenous base linked to 5-carbon sugar (no phophate)

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6
Q

What are the base components of nucleotides?

A

Nitrogen-containing rings (bases)

2 families

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7
Q

What are the 2 families of nucleotides?

A

Pyrimidines

Purines

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8
Q

What are the three pyrimidines?

A

Cytosine

Thymine

Uracil

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9
Q

What are the two purines?

A

Guanine

Adenine

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10
Q

What is the sugar component of nucleotides?

A

5-carbon sugar is either ribose or deoxyribose

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11
Q

What is the phosphate component of nucleotides?

2

A

Nucleotides have 1,2 or 3 phosphate groups

They are attached to the C5OH part of the ribose or deoxyribose (the 5’ position)

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12
Q

What are nucleotides containing ribose called?

A

Ribonucleotides

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13
Q

What are nucleotides containing deoxyribose called?

A

Deoxyribonucleotides

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14
Q

What are the two main types of nucleic acid?

A

Ribonucleic acids

Deoxyribonucleic acids

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15
Q

What are genes?

A

Portions of DNA

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16
Q

How does RNA differ from DNA?

2

A

RNA is single stranded

RNA does not have to stay in the nucleus

17
Q

Why is RNA not found in chromosomes?

A

RNA does not carry the genetic code

18
Q

What can RNA do to DNA?

A

RNA can read the DNA code and take the information out of the nucleus

19
Q

What is RNA’s main job?

A

To build proteins

20
Q

What are the 4 nitrogen bases in DNA?

A

Adenine

Guanine

Cytosine

Thymine

21
Q

What are the two types of biochemical bonds that link monomer nucleotides into polymers of DNA or RNA?

A

Phosphodiester bonds

Hydrogen bonds

22
Q

What are phosphodiester bonds?

A

Covalent bonds that link adjacent nucleotides together in both DNA and RNA

23
Q

What are hydrogen bonds?

2

A

They join nitrogen bases of nucleotides together in complementary base pairs in the centre of DNA

This holds the 2 antiparallel strands together

24
Q

Why are hydrogen bonds not required on RNA?

A

RNA is single stranded

25
Q

What do phosphodiester bonds form?

A

They form a backbone with a repeating pattern of sugar-phosphate units

26
Q

Where exactly are phosphodiester bonds formed?

A

Between the OH group on the 3’ C of one nucleotide and phosphate on the 5’ C of the next nucleotide

27
Q

How many hydrogen bonds does adenine form with thymine?

A

Two

28
Q

How many hydrogen bonds does guanine form with cytosine?

A

Three