RNA & DNA

Question 1

What does DNA carry?

Answer 1

Genetic Information.

Question 2

What are the three components of nucleotides?

Answer 2

• Pentose Sugar ( Pentagon )
• Nitrogen Containing Organic Base ( Square )
• Phosphate Group ( Circle )

Question 3

What are the monomers that make up RNA and DNA?

Answer 3

Nucleotides

Question 4

What are the various nitrogen containing organic bases that are used in nucleotides?

Answer 4

• Adenine
• Guanine 
• Cytosine
• Thymine
Pairs:
A-T
G-C

Question 5

What is DNA used for?

Answer 5

DNA is used to store genetic information.

Question 6

What is RNA’s function?

Answer 6

• Transfer genetic information from the DNA to the ribosomes.

Question 7

What are the ribosomes?

Answer 7

Ribosomes are the organelles which produce proteins, they read the RNA to make polypeptides in a process called translation.

Question 8

What are ribosomes made from?

Answer 8

Ribosomes are made from RNA and proteins.

Question 9

What is the sugar in RNA?

Answer 9

Ribose Sugar

Question 10

What is the sugar in DNA?

Answer 10

Deoxyribose Sugar

Question 11

What reaction forms nucleotides?

Answer 11

Condensation Reactions.

Question 12

How are polynucleotides formed?

Answer 12

• Pentose sugar, phosphate group, and nitrogen containing organic base are joined via condensation reactions to form a mono-nucleotide ( single nucleotide ).
• Two mononucleotides are joined between the deoxyribose sugar of one nucleotide, and the phosphate group of another, the bond between them is a phosphodiester bond.
• Many nucleotides being linked together form a long chain called a polynucleotide.

Question 13

What bond forms between nucleotides?

Answer 13

Phosphodiester bond between:
• Deoxyribose sugar one one nucleotide.
• Phosphate Group of another.

Question 14

What are some similarities between RNA and DNA?

Answer 14

• DNA and RNA have a phosphate group, and one of four nitrogen containing organic bases.

Question 15

What are some differences between RNA and DNA?

Answer 15

• DNA contains de-oxyribose sugar, RNA contains ribose sugar.
• RNA, the Uracil base replaces thymine as a base ( Thymine is present in DNA ).

Question 16

What is the polymer of nucleotides?

Answer 16

Polynucleotide

Question 17

What is the phosphodiester backbone?

Answer 17

Chain of sugars and phosphates in a nucleotide.

Question 18

What is the structure of DNA?

Answer 18

• DNA is made up of two strands of nucleotides, each of the two strands is extremely long and are joined via via hydrogen bonds formed between bases.
• DNA contains the bases, A-T, G-C.
• DNA has the pentose sugar, de-oxyribose.

Question 19

What bonds join together the polynucleotide strands in DNA?

Answer 19

Hydrogen bonds formed between bases.

Question 20

What are the complimentary base pairs for DNA?

Answer 20

Adenine - Thymine

Guanine - Cytosine

Question 21

How is the DNA double helix formed?

Answer 21

Two anti-parallel polynucleotide strands twist to form the DNA double helix.

Question 22

Why is DNA a stable molecule?

Answer 22

• Phosphodiester backbone protects the more chemically reactive organic bases inside the double helix
• Hydrogen bonds between organic bases form bridges between phosphodiester uprights, C-G pairs have a higher number of hydrogen bonds, the higher proportion of C-G base pairs, the more stable the molecule.

Question 23

How is DNA adapted to carry out it’s function?

Answer 23

• Very stable structure which is passed on generation to generation without change .
• Two separate strands are only joined with hydrogen bonds, which allow them to separate during DNA replication and protein synthesis
• Extremely large molecule, can carry a large amount of genetic information.
• Sugar-Phosphate backbone protects the bases from corruption.
• Base pairing leads to DNA being able to replicate and to transfer information as RNA.