Nucleotides and Nucleic Acids

Question 1

What are nucleotides?

Answer 1

Nucleotides are nitrogen-containing organic substances that join through condensation reactions to form nucleic acids.

Question 2

DNA and RNA are both examples of what?

Answer 2

Nucleic Acids.

Question 3

What is DNA used for?

Answer 3

It is used to store genetic information - meaning all the instructions that an organism needs to grow and develop.

Question 4

What is RNA used for?

Answer 4

It has many uses, such as transferring genetic information from DNA to ribosomes.

Question 5

What is the full name of DNA and RNA?

Answer 5

Deoxyribonucleic acid

Ribonucleic acid

Question 6

What organelle is made up of RNA?

Answer 6

Ribosomes.

Question 7

What forms a nucleotide?

Answer 7

• A pentose sugar
• A nitrogenous base
• A phosphate group

Question 8

Nucleotides are the monomers, what is the polymers?

Answer 8

DNA and RNA.

Question 9

Nucleotides are organic compounds, what is meant by the term ‘organic’?

Answer 9

It contains Carbon.

Question 10

What is the pentose sugar in DNA?

Answer 10

Deoxyribose sugar.

Question 11

What is the the pentose sugar in RNA?

Answer 11

Ribose sugar.

Question 12

What are the possible bases for a DNA nucleotide?

Answer 12

Adenine (A), Thymine (T), Cytosine (C), Guanine (G).

Question 13

What are the possible bases for a RNA nucleotide?

Answer 13

Adenine (A), Uracil (U), Cytosine (C), Guanine (G)

Question 14

rRNA forms the basis of which organelle?

Answer 14

Ribosomes.

Question 15

What are the contents of an RNA molecule?

Answer 15

• Phosphate group
• Ribose sugar
• Nitrogenous bases (AUCG)

Question 16

How are monomers of nucleotides joined to form a polynucleotide?

Answer 16

A condensation reaction between the phosphate of one nucleotide and the sugar of another. This forms an ester bond, and a phosphodiester bond as they connect twice.

Question 17

What are the contents of an DNA molecule?

Answer 17

• Phosphate group
• Deoxyribose sugar
• Nitrogenous bases (ATCG)

Question 18

What is meant by a sugar-phosphate backbone?

Answer 18

Phosphodiester bonds join

Question 19

Between which nucleotides do 2 hydrogen bonds form?

Answer 19

A and T

Question 20

Between which nucleotides do 3 hydrogen bonds form?

Answer 20

C and G

Question 21

What is meant by complementary base pairing?

Answer 21

Each base can only join with one specific other, Adenine-Thymine and Cytosine-Guanine.

Question 22

How do two DNA polynucleotide strands join together?

Answer 22

Hydrogen bonding between the bases.

Question 23

What does it mean that the nucleotide strands are antiparallel?

Answer 23

They run in opposite directions.

Question 24

What is the general shape of a DNA molecule?

Answer 24

It is coiled into a DNA double-helix.

Question 25

Who determined that DNA had a double helix, which aids DNA carrying out its function?

Answer 25

Watson and Crick.

Question 26

What is the length of RNA relative to DNA?

Answer 26

RNA is shorter than most DNA.

Question 27

What is the main structural difference between DNA and RNA?

Answer 27

DNA is double stranded and RNA is single stranded.