Nucleic Acids
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Questions and Answers

What is the primary function of nucleic acids in a cell?

  • To maintain the cell's structure
  • To provide energy for the cell
  • To synthesize proteins
  • To carry genetic information and instructions for the functioning of the cell (correct)

    • What is the role of nucleic acids in heredity?

  • To transmit genetic information from one generation to the next (correct)
  • To provide energy for the cell
  • To maintain the cell's structure
  • To synthesize proteins

    • What are nucleic acids composed of?

  • Nucleotides (correct)
  • Carbohydrates
  • Lipids
  • Amino acids

    • What is the significance of nucleic acids in the continuity of life?

    <p>They carry genetic information and instructions for cell functioning</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the relationship between nucleic acids and proteins?

    <p>Nucleic acids serve as blueprints for protein synthesis</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Where is DNA typically found in prokaryotes?

    <p>Not enclosed in a nucleus</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the function of messenger RNA (mRNA)?

    <p>To communicate with the rest of the cell</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the three primary components of a nucleotide?

    <p>Nitrogenous base, sugar molecule, and phosphate group</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the result of heating a DNA solution?

    <p>The double-stranded DNA separates into single strands</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term for a compound consisting of a nitrogenous base and a sugar molecule?

    <p>Nucleoside</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the bond that forms between a sugar and a nitrogenous base in a nucleoside?

    <p>β-glycosidic bond</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the name of the nucleoside composed of adenine and ribose?

    <p>Adenosine</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the name of the nucleotide composed of adenine, ribose, and three phosphate groups?

    <p>Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to the helical structure of DNA as the temperature increases?

    <p>It is lost</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the melting curve of DNA used to measure?

    <p>The percentage of DNA denaturation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the basis of measuring DNA denaturation using a spectrophotometer?

    <p>The presence of aromatic rings in nucleotide bases</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why does double-stranded DNA absorb less light at 260 nm compared to single-stranded DNA?

    <p>Because of the base stacking interactions in DNA double helix</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of mRNA in protein synthesis?

    <p>To carry protein information from the DNA in a cell's nucleus to the cell's cytoplasm</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the function of transfer RNA (tRNA) in protein synthesis?

    <p>To act as temporary carriers of amino acids</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the relationship between the absorbance of a DNA solution and the temperature?

    <p>The absorbance increases as the temperature increases</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the shape of the curve obtained by plotting the absorbance values with increase in temperature?

    <p>Sigmoid</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Nucleic Acids

    • Nucleic acids are macromolecules composed of nucleotides as monomers.
    • They are crucial for the continuity of life, carrying genetic information and instructions for cellular functioning.
    • Nucleic acids serve as blueprints for protein synthesis in cells.
    • They are the hereditary material in cells, responsible for passing genetic information from reproducing cells to their offspring.

    DNA and Nucleic Acids

    • DNA is the genetic material found in all living organisms, located in the nucleus of eukaryotes and in chloroplasts and mitochondria, and is not enclosed in a nucleus in prokaryotes.

    Structure of Nucleic Acids

    • A nucleotide is the building block of nucleic acids, consisting of a nitrogenous base, a sugar molecule, and one or more phosphate groups.
    • A nucleoside is a compound consisting of a nitrogenous base and a sugar molecule, lacking the phosphate group(s).
    • Nucleotides are named based on the nitrogenous base (e.g., Adenylic acid) or the number of phosphate groups (e.g., Adenosine monophosphate (AMP), Adenosine diphosphate (ADP), or Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)).
    • Nucleosides are named based on the nitrogenous base (e.g., Adenosine, Guanosine, Thymidine, Cytidine, Uridine).

    Denaturation of DNA

    • Denaturation of DNA is the loss of helical structure of DNA as the temperature increases, resulting in the separation of DNA strands.
    • Denaturation of DNA is measured using a spectrophotometer, based on the fact that nucleotide bases absorb light in the ultraviolet (UV) range.
    • The melting curve of DNA is obtained by plotting the absorbance values with increasing temperature.

    RNA

    • RNA (ribonucleic acid) is involved in protein synthesis.
    • Types of RNA include messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and microRNA.
    • mRNA carries protein information from the DNA in a cell's nucleus to the cell's cytoplasm, where the protein-making machinery reads the mRNA sequence.
    • tRNA acts as a temporary carrier of amino acids, bringing the appropriate amino acids to the ribosome based on the mRNA nucleotide sequence.

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