Purine Metabolism/ Diseases Flashcards
1
Q
Why is there uracil in RNA but not DNA?
A
One reason is because if cytosine becomes deaminated it becomes uracil. This is a common reaction and since uracil does not belong in DNA, it can easily be excised. This is not a problem with RNA because mRNA is relatively short lived and errors don’t usually lead to lasting damage.
2
Q
What has the highest level of ribonucleotide reductase?
a. epithelial cell
b. neuron
c. macrophage
A
a. epithelial cell
3
Q
Which form of nucleic acid would you give if you were a pharmaceutical company making a purine derivative to give as an antiviral?
A
nucleoside because it is able to go through the membrane and then be phosphorylated.
once it is phosphorylated then it is trapped inside the cell
