Nucleic Acids Overview

Nucleic Acids

• Composed of atoms such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur.
• Nitrogen is essential for the structure of nucleic acids and proteins, while sulfur and selenium are involved in proteins.

Monomer of Nucleic Acids

• Nucleotides serve as the building blocks for all nucleic acids.
• The five nucleotide bases are uracil, cytosine, thymine, adenine, and guanine, which are crucial for DNA and RNA structure.

Parts of a Nucleotide

• Each nucleotide consists of three components:
  • A five-carbon sugar (ribose in RNA).
  • A phosphate group.
  • One of four nitrogenous bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, or uracil.

Functions of Nucleic Acids

• Nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) are vital for storing and transmitting genetic information.
• DNA provides the hereditary information passed from parents to offspring and is located in the cell nucleus.

Examples of Nucleic Acids

• Two primary types are DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid).
• Distinguishing factor: RNA contains uracil, while DNA contains thymine among its bases.