Nucleotides Flashcards
What do nucleic acids contain
Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorus
What are nucleic acids made from
Nucleotides linked together in the chain
What 3 components is a nucleotide made of
- pentose monosaccharide
- phosphate group
- a nitrogenous base
What bonds are between bases (e.g A & T)
Hydrogen
How many bonds do adenine and thymine form
2 hydrogen bonds
How many bonds do cytosine and guanine form
3 hydrogen bonds
How are nucleotides linked together
By condensation reactions
What does the phosphate group on the fifth carbons on the pentose sugar covalently bond with
The hydroxyl group on the third carbon of the neighbouring nucleotide
What are pyrimidines
The smaller bases, containing single carbon rings structures (T&C) [and uracil]
What are purines
The larger bases, which contain double carbon ring structures (A&G)
10 base pairs = […] nm
3.4
The two strands of the double helix are described as […]
Anti-parallel
One pyramidine bonds to one
Purine
What bonds have to be broken to breakdown polynucleotides
Phosphodiester bonds
What do nucleotides join up between?
The phosphate group of one nucleotide and the sugar of another nucleotide
What is the reaction of two nucleotides bonding together called?
Condensation reaction
What is the bond called when two nucleotides bond together?
Phosphodiester bond
What is the chain of sugar and phosphates known as?
The sugar-phosphate backbone
What does a Phosphodiester consist of?
A phosphate group and two ester bonds.
What is the name of the reaction that breaks down polynucleotides back into nucleotides and what does it break down?
It is called a hydrolysis reaction and it breaks down the phosphodiester bonds.
