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Questions and Answers
What is the main difference between the sugar molecules found in DNA and RNA?
Who is credited with identifying DNA as the carrier of genetic information?
What is the term for the sequence of sugar-phosphate groups that form the backbone of a nucleic acid molecule?
What is the name of the image that was obtained through X-ray diffraction techniques and showed the double helix structure of DNA?
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What is the term for the ring-shaped molecules that contain elements other than carbon and are found in nucleic acid molecules?
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Who is credited with discovering DNA in 1869?
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What is the primary function of histone proteins in the structure of chromosomes?
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Which type of RNA is responsible for carrying genetic information from the DNA to the site of protein synthesis?
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What is the term for the process by which the genetic information contained in DNA is transferred to RNA molecules and then expressed in the structure of synthesized proteins?
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What is the term for the three-base sequence on a tRNA molecule that allows it to bind to mRNA during protein synthesis?
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What is the term for the structure composed of nucleosome coils that is approximately 30 nm in diameter?
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Which of the following types of viruses is characterized by its helical morphology?
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Study Notes
Nucleic Acids
- Unbranched polymers containing monomer units called nucleotides
- Types: Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and Ribonucleic acid (RNA)
Nucleotides
- A three-subunit molecule consisting of:
- A pentose sugar
- A phosphate group
- A nitrogen-containing heterocyclic base
- Heterocyclic bases:
- Purine: Adenine (A) and Guanine (G)
- Pyrimidine: Cytosine (C), Thymine (T), and Uracil (U)
Sugar
- A pentose ring that may or may not lose a hydroxyl group
- Types:
- D-ribose (in RNA)
- D-deoxyribose (in DNA)
Phosphate
- Derived from phosphoric acid (H3PO4)
History of Nucleic Acids
- 1869: Friedrich Miescher discovered DNA in pus of discarded surgical bandages and named it "nuclein"
- 1878: Albrecht Kossel isolated pure nucleic acid
- 1943: Oswald Avery, Colin Macleod, and Maclyn McCarty identified DNA as the carrier of genetic information
DNA Structure
- A double helix consisting of two complementary nucleic acid strands coiled around a common axis
- Developed by James Watson and Francis Crick in 1953
- Nucleic acid backbone on the outside, heterocyclic bases on the inside
- Chains run in opposite directions
- Specific base pairing: Adenine (A) pairs with Thymine (T), and Guanine (G) pairs with Cytosine (C)
Chromatin Structure
- Nucleosome: made up of histone proteins and DNA strand wrapped twice around it
- 30 nm chromatin fiber: composed of nucleosome coils
- Chromosome: packed DNA commonly seen during M phase
RNA
- A long unbranched polymer consisting of nucleotides joined by 3’ to 5’ phosphodiester bonds
- Some RNA strands can form intramolecular base pairing
- Kinds of RNA:
- Messenger RNA (mRNA): carrier of genetic information
- Ribosomal RNA (rRNA): main component of ribosomes
- Transfer RNA (tRNA): delivers individual amino acids to the site of protein synthesis
Viruses
- Acellular infectious particles
- Virion: an intact and infective virus particle
- Types based on morphology:
- Helical
- Polyhedral
- Envelope
- Complex
Central Dogma of Molecular Biology
- The genetic information contained in DNA is transferred to RNA molecules and then expressed in the structure of synthesized proteins
Genes
- Segments of DNA that contain the information needed for the synthesis of proteins
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Description
Test your knowledge on nucleic acids, nucleotides, and heterocyclic bases with this quiz. Learn about the structure and types of nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA, as well as the components of nucleotides.
