Nucleic AcidsInformation Storage and Energy Transfer

Nucleic Acid Basics

Made of C,H,O,N,P SPONCHMonomer is a nucleotideFunctions

- information storage - information transfer

- energy transfer

Meet the Monomer-Nucleotide

P = Phosphate GroupS= 5 Carbon Sugar (ribose or deoxyribose)B= Nitrogen Base

Meet the Polymer

• Polymers of nucleic acids are chains of nucleotides joined by condensation reactions

• They are held together by covalent bonds between the sugar of one nucleotide and the phosphate of another

- called phosphodiester bonds

Meet the Polymers

• DNA 2 chains of nucleotides held RNA together by H Bonds

Nucleic Acid Types-DNA • Deoxyribonucleic Acid• made of two strands of

nucleotides• Form a double helix• DNA stores hereditary

information - recipes for the

proteins• found in the cell’s

nucleus

Nucleic Acid Types- RNA• Ribonucleic Acid• Single strand of nucleotides• forms a single helix• transfers information from

the DNA to the ribosomes - carries a protein recipe to

the ribosome -ribosomes are structures in a cell

that make protein

DNA- stores protein recipes in the nucleusRNA – transfers them to the ribosome to be built

DNA vs. RNA

• Double stranded Single Stranded

• Sugar–Deoxyribose Sugar – ribose

• Nitrogen Bases Nitrogen Bases Adenine Adenine Thymine Uracil Guanine Guanine Cytosine Cytosine

Base Pairing

Nucleic Acid Types - ATP• Adenosine Tri-Phosphate• ATP is a single nucleotide• high energy molecule• produced by cellular

respiration• transfers energy within

cells

DNA/RNA vs. ATP DNA or RNA ATP

Nucleic Acid Types-ADP• Adenosine Di-Phosphate• Single nucleotide• “rechargeable” energy transfer molecule• Lower energy than ATP• Cellular respiration

converts ADP into ATP

• DNA contains the original message• mRNA copies the message with “opposite”

image = transcription• tRNA brings amino acids to mRNA in ribosome

= translation• Codon-anticodon relationship

Gene Expression

Codon-anticodon relationship

Flashcards for Fun and Profit

• Elements found in Nucleic Acids• Functions of Nucleic Acids• Parts of a nucleotide• Phosphodiester bonds• Structure and function of DNA• Role of H bonds in DNA• Structure and function of RNA• Structure and function of ATP• Structure and function of ADP