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Biology Module 2, Chapter 3 - Biological Molecules > Nucleic Acids/Nucleotides (Part 1) > Flashcards

Nucleic Acids/Nucleotides (Part 1) Flashcards

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1
Q

What elements do nucleic acids contain?

A

Carbon
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Nitrogen
Phosphorous

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2
Q

Nucleic acids are polymers. What are their monomers?

A

Nucleotides.

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3
Q

What is the nucleotide made from?

A
  1. Pentose sugar (sugar containing 5 carbon atoms)
  2. Nitrogenous (nitrogen containing) base
  3. Phosphate group
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4
Q

What type of molecule is the phosphate group?

A

PO4(2-) is an inorganic molecule that is acidic and negatively charged.

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5
Q

What type of molecule is a nitrogenous base?

A

A complec organic molecule contatining one or two carbon rings, in its structure as well as nitrogen.

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6
Q

What does the nucleotide look like?

A

Nucleotide.

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7
Q

What does DNA stand for?

A

Deoxyribonucleic acid

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8
Q

What does RNA stand for?

A

Ribonucleic acid

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9
Q

What reaction links nucleotides together to form a polynucleotide?

A

Nucleotides are linked by condensation reactions.

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10
Q

What is the name of the polymer formed by linked nucleotides?

A

The polymer is called a polynucleotide.

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11
Q

Which two groups of adjacent nucleotides are involved in bond formation?

A

The phosphate group at the 5’ carbon of one nucleotide and the hydroxyl (OH) group at the 3’ carbon of the pentose sugar of the next nucleotide.

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12
Q

What type of bond is formed between adjacent nucleotides?

A

A phosphodiester bond.

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13
Q

Where specifically does the phosphodiester bond form?

A

Between the 5’ carbon of the phosphate group and the 3’ carbon of the sugar.

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14
Q

What is the structure of a polynucleotide?

A

A polynucleotide has a sugar-phosphate backbone with bases attached to each sugar.

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15
Q

How are phosphodiester bonds broken?

A

Phosphodiester bonds are broken by hydrolysis, which is the reverse of the condensation reaction, releasing individual nucleotides.

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16
Q

What is the sugar in DNA called, and how is it different from ribose?

A

The sugar in DNA is called deoxyribose, which has one fewer oxygen atom than ribose.

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17
Q

How many types of nucleotides are there in DNA?

A

There are four types of DNA nucleotides, each with a different base.

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18
Q

What are the two groups of DNA bases?

A

Pyrimidines (smaller bases with single carbon ring structures): Thymine (T) and Cytosine (C).

Purines (larger bases with double carbon ring structures): Adenine (A) and Guanine (G).

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19
Q

What is the structure of purines?

A

Double ringed

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20
Q

What is the structure of pyrimidines?

A

Single ringed

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21
Q

Which bases are purines?

A

Adenine and guanine

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22
Q

Which bases are pyrimidines?

A

Cytosine, thymine, and uracil

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23
Q

How do DNA bases pair, and what bonds form between them?

A

Thymine (T) pairs with Adenine (A) via two hydrogen bonds.

Cytosine (C) pairs with Guanine (G) via three hydrogen bonds.

Purines always pair with pyrimidines.

24
Q

What type of bonds hold bases together?

A

Hydrogen bonds

25
Q

Name the 5 nitrogenous bases

A

thymine
guanine
adenine
cytosine
uracil

26
Q

Name the 4 bases present in DNA

A

thymine
adenine
guanine
cytosine

27
Q

Name the 4 bases present in RNA

A

uracil
adenine
guanine
cytosine

28
Q

Which base is never found in DNA?

A

Uracil

29
Q

Which base is never found in RNA?

A

Thymine

30
Q

In order to allow for the bases to form hydrogen bonds what must happen to one of the polynucleotide chains?

A

It must be rotated through 180 degrees

31
Q

What is the structural shape of a DNA molecule?

A

DNA consists of two strands of polynucleotides coiled into a helix, known as the DNA double helix.

32
Q

How long can a DNA molecule be?

A

DNA molecules can range in length from a few nucleotides to millions of nucleotides.

33
Q

What holds the two strands of the double helix together?

A

The two strands are held together by hydrogen bonds between complementary bases, similar to the rungs of a ladder.

34
Q

What is meant by DNA strands being “antiparallel”?

A

The two strands run in opposite directions, with one strand having a phosphate group (5’) at one end and a hydroxyl group (3’) at the other.

35
Q

Why is the base pairing in DNA important?

A

The base pairing allows DNA to be copied and transcribed, which are essential properties for its role as the molecule of heredity.

36
Q

What shape is the deoxyribose sugar?

A

Page 70 on the kerboodle textbook.

37
Q

What shape is the phosphate group?

A

Page 70 on the kerboodle textbook.

38
Q

What shape is the Adenine base?

A

Page 70 on the kerboodle textbook.

39
Q

What shape is the Thymine base?

A

Page 70 on the kerboodle textbook.

40
Q

What shape is the Cytosine base?

A

Page 70 on the kerboodle textbook.

41
Q

What shape is the Guanine base?

A

Page 70 on the kerboodle textbook.

42
Q

What is complementary base pairing in DNA?

A

Adenine (A) pairs with Thymine (T) via two hydrogen bonds.

Cytosine (C) pairs with Guanine (G) via three hydrogen bonds.

43
Q

Why does a pyrimidine always pair with a purine?

A

A small pyrimidine base pairs with a larger purine base to maintain a constant distance between the DNA backbones, ensuring parallel polynucleotide chains.

44
Q

Who discovered the detailed structure of DNA and when?

A

The detailed structure of DNA was determined by Watson and Crick in 1953.

45
Q

What does the sequence of bases along a DNA strand represent?

A

The sequence of bases carries the genetic information of an organism in the form of a code.

46
Q

What is the primary role of RNA?

A

RNA plays an essential role in transferring genetic information from DNA to the proteins that make up enzymes and tissues.

47
Q

Why can’t DNA directly supply genetic information for protein synthesis?

A

DNA is a very long molecule that cannot leave the nucleus due to its size and structure.

48
Q

How is genetic information transferred from DNA to the protein synthesis site?

A

A short section of DNA corresponding to a single gene is transcribed into a shorter molecule called messenger RNA (mRNA).

49
Q

How does the length of mRNA compare to DNA?

A

Each mRNA molecule is much shorter than the entire DNA chromosome, corresponding only to a single gene.

50
Q

How are RNA nucleotides different from DNA nucleotides?

A

RNA contains the sugar ribose, while DNA contains deoxyribose.
RNA has the base uracil (U) instead of thymine (T). Uracil forms two hydrogen bonds with adenine (A).

51
Q

Do base pairing rules still apply in RNA?

A

Yes, RNA nucleotides pair with DNA during transcription, following base pairing rules:

Adenine (A) pairs with Uracil (U).
Cytosine (C) pairs with Guanine (G).

52
Q

How do RNA polymers form?

A

RNA nucleotides form polymers through the creation of phosphodiester bonds in condensation reactions, similar to DNA.

53
Q

Why is RNA able to leave the nucleus?

A

RNA polymers are small enough to pass through the nuclear membrane and travel to ribosomes.

54
Q

What happens to RNA after protein synthesis?

A

RNA molecules are degraded in the cytoplasm, the phosphodiester bonds are hydrolyzed, and the nucleotides are released and reused.

55
Q

What is the chemical formula for: Thymine?

A

C5H6N2O2

56
Q

What is the chemical formula for: Cytosine?

A

C4H5N3O

57
Q

What is the chemical formula for: Uracil?

A

H4H4N2O2

Biology Module 2, Chapter 3 - Biological Molecules (13 decks)

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