Nucleic acids + nucleotides Flashcards
What are nucleic acids?
Polymers made up of nucleotide monomers
What are the 3 types of nucleic acids?
DNA, RNA, ATP
What makes up a nucleotide?
- Pentose sugar (RNA = ribose, DNA = deoxyribose)
- Nitrogenous base
- Phosphate group (can dissolve into water)
What is a phosphodiester bond?
Phosphate group at 5th carbon of pentose sugar of 1 nucleotide forms a covalent bond with hydroxyl group at 3rd carbon of pentose sugar on another nucleotide
What reaction forms a phosphodiester bond?
Condensation reaction
What reaction breaks a phosphodiester bond?
Hydrolysis - Just add water
To speed up hydrolysis, add enzyme
How many nitrogenous bases are there? What groups are they split into?
5, split into purines and pyrimidines
What are the bases included in pyrimidines?
Uracil, thymine, and cytosine
What are the bases included in purines?
Adenine, guanine
What bases are in DNA?
Thymine, cytosine, adenine, guanine
What bases are in RNA?
Uracil, cytosine, adenine, guanine
Explain the base pairing rule:
A pyrimidine base always pairs with a purine - small + big, ensures 2 strands of DNA are same distance apart
What are small bases?
Pyrimidines- have 1 nitrogen containing ring
What are big bases?
Purines - Have 2 nitrogen containing rings
Examples of the base pairing rule: Or draw them out
- Adenine pairs with thymine: 2 hydrogen bonds
- Adenine pairs with uracil: 2 hydrogen bonds
- Cytosine pairs with guanine: 3 hydrogen bonds
