Unit one - organisation and structure of DNA Flashcards
what does antiparallel mean?
the strands run parallel to each other but go in different directions
how are eukaryotic cells DNA stored?
stored in the nucleus in linear chromosomes which is tightly coiled and packaged with associated proteins(histones)
Eukaryotic DNA can also be stored in?
can also be found in circular chromosomes in the mitochondria and chloroplasts
how are prokaryotic cells DNA stored?
DNA is free in the cytoplasm, stored in large circular chromosomes and smaller circular plasmids
what is a nucleotide?
a molecule of DNA consisting of two repeating strands
what is a nucleotide made of?
a base, deoxyribose sugar and phosphate
what are the base pairings?
Adenine and thymine, Guanine and cytosine
how is DNA linked together?
hydrogen bonds
what do these strong bonds form?
sugar-phosphate backbone
what strand is deoxyribose at?
the 3’ end
what strand is phosphate at?
the 5’ end
what shape does this form?
a double helix
