DNA STRUCTURE GLOSSARY

Term Definition/Explanation
Deoxyribose
The pentose sugar that forms part of a nucleotide
Phosphate

Nitrogenous These are the molecules that provide the “code” for DNA. They
Base do this by pairing with one another (G always pairs with C and
A always with T) to create a sequence of genetic information.

Purine Adenine and Guanine, These nitrogenous bases are two string
structures

Pyrimidine Cytosine and Thymine. Theses nitrogenous bases are single ring
structures

Phosphodiest The very strong covalent bond that a phosphate forms with two
er bond Deoxyribose sugars
Sugar The structure of alternating deoxyribose sugars and phosphate
Phosphate groups that forms the supporting structure of DNA
Backbone
Nucleotide The name for the combination of Phosphate a Deoxyribose
sugar and a nitrogenous base

Polynucleotid A strand of nucleotides (this is what DNA is constructed of)

e
Anti-Parallel The description of how one polynucleotide strand runs one way
while the other polynucleotide strand that makes up DNA runs
in the opposite direction

Helix A spiralling shape similar to that of a spring. DNA is structured

in a double helix.
Histone A protein which packages DNA so that it can be stored in the
nucleus of the cell.

Nucleosome A group of eight histones wrapped in linker DNA.

Chromatin This is made up of DNA and proteins. TI supercoils into

chromosomes prior to mitosis.
Exon The coding section of a gene

Intron The non-coding sections of a gene

3’ The Carbon atom which forms a bond with the phosphate

“down” the chain. It contains a Hydroxyl group
5’ The carbon atom which forms a bond with the phosphate “up”
the polynucleotide chain.