Week 2: Nucleic Acid (S&F)

Question 1

is a nucleotide a monomer or a polymer

Answer 1

a monomer:
- form energy rich compunds (ATP)
- incolved in chemical signalling
- structural components of enzyme-cofactors
- building blocks of DNA.

Question 2

what is the structure of a nucleotide?

Answer 2

• 5 carbone (pentose) sugar
• phosphate group
• nitrogenous bases (A,T/U,C,G)

Question 3

what is the 5 carbon (pentose) structure of a nucleotide?

Answer 3

** - 1’ carbon =** bound to nitrogenous base
** - 2’ carbon = ** gives sugar its name - depending on presence/absence of OH group (RNA –> ribose + OH; DNA –> deoxyribose - OH)
** - 3’ to 5’ = ** bound to phosphate groups and associated with directionality of DNA strand

Question 4

function of nucleic acid

Answer 4

• encode information for protein synthesis
• stores genetic material which can be transferred to future generations
• can be copied with high fidelity

Question 5

what is RNA

Answer 5

• robonucleic acid
• simple, single stranded molecule
• mRNA, rRNA, tRNA, mciroRNA
• all transcribed from DNA template
• ribose sugar rather than deoxyribose sugar.

Question 6

what is DNA?

Answer 6

• deoxyribonucleic acid
• template for creating RNA and DNA
• stores genetic infomation
• double stranded unbranched polymer - arranged in a double helix.
• covalent bonds between sugar and phospate group (backbone); hydrogen bonds between bases
• bases are hydrophobic and backbone is hydrophillic