Nucleic acids

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Nucleic Acids
large, organic molecules
store + transmit genetic info
play a central role in building proteins
made of 5 carbon sugars, phosphate groups, nitrogenous bases + macromolecules
- provide instructions for growth + development
Purines
- 2 rings of C+ N
- Examples: adenine + thymine
Pyrimidines
- 1 ring of C+ N
- Examples: cytosine + guanine
made of smaller units called nucleotides
- molecules that share a general chemical structure
Phosphate group contains P + O
Nitrogenous bases contain N
DNA + RNA
- form when the sugar of 1 nucleotide, bonds with the phosphate group of another nucleotide
replication
- producing an identical copy of DNA in newly formed cells
DNA
- contains organism's genetic info
- shaped like a twisted ladder or double helix
- sugar always deoxyribose
- 4 different nitrogenous bases: adenine, thymine, cytosine + guanine
- H bonds form between the nitrogenous bases
  - 2 bonds between A + T, 3 between C + G
- sequence in 1 strand of DNA determines another
RNA
- uses instructions in DNA to build proteins
- sugar always ribose
- instead of thymine, there is urancil
Transcription
- messenger, ribosomal + transfer are produced for RNA

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