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# Chapter 8: Nucleotides and Nucleic Acids ## 8.1 - Some Basic Definitions and Conventions ## 8.2 - Nucleic Acid Structure ## 8.3 - Nucleic Acid Chemistry ## 8.4 - Other Functions of Nucleotides Nucleotides have a variety of roles in cellular metabolism. They are the energy currency in metabolic t...

# Chapter 8: Nucleotides and Nucleic Acids ## 8.1 - Some Basic Definitions and Conventions ## 8.2 - Nucleic Acid Structure ## 8.3 - Nucleic Acid Chemistry ## 8.4 - Other Functions of Nucleotides Nucleotides have a variety of roles in cellular metabolism. They are the energy currency in metabolic transactions, the essential chemical links in the response of cells to hormones and other extracellular stimuli, and the structural components of an array of enzyme cofactors and metabolic intermediates. And, last but certainly not least, they are the constituents of nucleic acids: - **deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)** - **ribonucleic acid (RNA)** These are the molecular repositories of genetic information. The structure of every protein, and ultimately of every biomolecule and cellular component, is a product of information programmed into the nucleotide sequence of cellular (or viral) nucleic acids. The ability to store and transmit genetic information from one generation to the next is a fundamental condition for life. 1024 1/125