Nucleic Acids

Meghan AroraJeff Chen

Julia KubikPratibha Sharma

Anna Ye

Functions

Types:

•Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) •Ribonucleic acid (RNA)

These molecules:

•Store and transmit hereditary material•Allow living organisms to pass on their traits

DNA• Made of hundreds to

thousands of genes

• Contains all the information that program all cell activities

• During cell reproduction, DNA is copied and passed on to the next generation

• Favourable traits are preserved, copied, and continue to be passed down

o Species evolve

RNA

• Synthesized by genes along the length of a DNA molecule

• Controls protein synthesis

• Sends genetic instructions for building proteins from the nucleus to ribosomes located in the cytoplasm

Monomer

Smallest unit of nucleic acids is a nucleotide

A nucleotide consists of:

•pentose sugar•phosphate group•one of four differentnitrogenous bases(A, G, C, and T or U)

•RNA has ribose as its pentose and U as one of its bases

•DNA has deoxyribose as its pentose and T as one of its bases

Parts of a Monomer: Nitrogenous Base

Pyrimidines:

• Six membered ring of carbon and nitrogen atoms

Purines

• Six membered pyrimidine ring, fused to an additional five membered ring

There are two families of nitrogenous bases: pyrimidines and purines

Parts of a Monomer: Pentose

• Ribose in nucleotides of RNA

• Deoxyribose in DNA

• Only difference is that deoxyribose lacks an oxygen atom on its number 2 carbon, hence the name

Parts of a Monomer: Phosphate Group

A phosphate group attached to the number 5 carbon of the sugar completes the construction of a nucleotide

Significance:

•Main energy source in a cell- releases -7.3 kcal of energy per mole, ( -13 kcal/mol in natural environments)

•Its high reactivity is caused by the triphosphate tail- the phosphate groups are all negatively charged and act like a loaded spring

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) The cell performs three main

functions:

1. Mechanical Work2.Transport Work3. Chemical Work

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• Energy released from the hydrolysis of ATP is used to transfer the extra phosphate group to energy absorbing reactions with the help of specific enzymes

• The altered phosphorylated molecule is an intermediate and more reactive

• Ex. synthesis of glutamine (an amino acid) from glutamic acid and ammonia

• Another vital property of ATP is its regenerative quality, called the ATP cycle

How ATP Performs Work

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ATP can be recycled through the phosphorylation of ADP (when ADP combines with a phosphate), and where the energy required for that reaction comes from catabolism (breakdown reactions).In most cases, the energy comes from cellular respiration and light energy in plants. Below: The ATP cycle

The ATP Cycle

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http://rachelkahn3b.edublogs.org/2011/11/29/dna-structure-model-lab/

http://www.mrmacaraeg.com/Biology_11_Downloads.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RNA-comparedto-DNA_thymineAndUracilCorrected.png

http://digitaljournal.com/img/8/7/3/i/5/9/6/o/060130dnastrand.jpg

http://ap-bio-patrick-steed.wikispaces.com/DNA+vs+RNA,+DNA+Replication

http://www.thaibiotech.info/Picture/Phosphate.gif

Works Cited