Nucleic Acids

Information
storage

AP Biology 2006-2007
 Nucleic Acids
▪ Function:
◆ genetic material
▪ stores information
⬥ genes
⬥ blueprint for building proteins
■ DNA → RNA → proteins
DNA
▪ transfers information
⬥ blueprint for new cells
⬥ blueprint for next generation

AP Biology
proteins
AP Biology
 Nucleic Acids
▪ Examples:
◆ RNA (ribonucleic acid)
▪ single helix
◆ DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
▪ double helix

▪ Structure:
◆ monomers = nucleotides

AP Biology
DNA RNA
 Nucleotides
▪ 3 parts
◆ nitrogen base (C-N ring) Nitrogen base
I’m the
◆ pentose sugar (5C) A,T,C,G or U
▪ ribose in RNA part!

▪ deoxyribose in DNA
◆ phosphate (PO4) group
Are nucleic
acids
charged
molecules?

AP Biology
 Animation: DNA and RNA
Structure

AP Biology
 Types of nucleotides Purine = AG

▪ 2 types of nucleotides Pure silver!

◆ different nitrogen bases

◆ purines
▪ double ring N base
▪ adenine (A)
▪ guanine (G)
◆ pyrimidines
▪ single ring N base
▪ cytosine (C)
▪ thymine (T)
▪ uracil (U)
AP Biology
 Figure 3.27-3
NITROGENOUS BASES
Pyrimidines

Cytosine (C) Thymine Uracil (U, in RNA)

(T, in DNA)
Purines

Adenine (A) Guanine (G)

(c) Nucleoside components
AP Biology
© 2016 Pearson
 Figure 3.27-4

SUGARS

Deoxyribose (in DNA) Ribose (in RNA)

(c) Nucleoside components

AP Biology
 Nucleotide Polymers
▪ Adjacent nucleotides are joined by
covalent bonds between the —OH
group on the 3′ carbon of one
nucleotide and the phosphate on the 5′
carbon of the next
▪ These links create a backbone of
sugar-phosphate units with
nitrogenous bases as appendages
▪ The sequence of bases along a DNA or
mRNA polymer is unique for each gene
AP Biology
© 2016 Pearson
 Nucleic polymer
▪ Backbone
◆ sugar to PO4 bond
◆ phosphodiester bond
▪ new base added to sugar of
previous base
▪ polymer grows in one direction
◆ N bases hang off the
sugar-phosphate backbone
Dangling bases?
Why is this
important?

AP Biology
AP Biology
 DNA as genetic material: The
circumstantial evidence
1. Present in all cells and virtually restricted to the
nucleus
2. The amount of DNA in somatic cells (body cells)
of any given species is constant (like the
number of chromosomes)
3. The DNA content of gametes (sex cells) is half
that of somatic cells.
In cases of polyploidy (multiple sets of
chromosomes) the DNA content increases by a
proportional factor
4. The mutagenic effect of UV light peaks at
253.7nm. The peak for the absorption of UV
AP Biology light by DNA
 NUCLEOTIDE STRUCTURE

PHOSPHATE SUGAR BASE

Ribose or PURINES PYRIMIDINES
Deoxyribose Adenine (A) Cytocine (C)
Guanine(G) Thymine (T)
Uracil (U)

NUCLEOTIDE
© 2016 Paul Billiet ODWS
AP Biology
28.10: Replication of DNA.
The Central Dogma (F. Crick):
replication
DNA DNA transcription mRNA translation Protein
(genome) (transcriptome) (proteome)

Expression and transfer of genetic information:

Replication: process by which DNA is copied with very high
fidelity.
Transcription: process by which the DNA genetic code is read
and transferred to messenger RNA (mRNA). This is an
intermediate step in protein expression
Translation: The process by which the genetic code is converted
to a protein, the end product of gene expression.
The DNA sequence codes for the mRNA sequence, which
codes for the protein sequence
“It has not escaped our attention that the specific pairing we have postulated immediately
suggests a possible copying mechanism for the genetic material.” Watson & Crick 15
AP Biology
 The Structures of DNA and RNA
Molecules
▪ RNA molecules usually exist as single
polypeptide chains
▪ DNA molecules have two polynucleotides
spiraling around an imaginary axis, forming
a double helix
▪ In the DNA double helix, the two backbones
run in opposite 5′→ 3′ directions from each
other, an arrangement referred to as
antiparallel
▪ One DNA molecule includes many genes
AP Biology
 Pairing of nucleotides
▪ Nucleotides bond between
DNA strands
◆ H bonds
◆ purine :: pyrimidine
◆ A :: T
▪ 2 H bonds
◆ G :: C
▪ 3 H bonds

Matching bases?
Why is this
important?
AP Biology
 DNA molecule
▪ Double helix
◆ H bonds between bases
join the 2 strands
▪ A :: T
▪ C :: G

H bonds?
Why is this
important?

AP Biology
 Copying DNA
▪ Replication
◆ 2 strands of DNA helix are
complementary
▪ have one, can build other
▪ have one, can rebuild the
whole

Matching halves?
Why is this
a good system?

AP Biology
 When does a cell copy DNA?
▪ When in the life of a cell does DNA have
to be copied?
◆ cell reproduction
▪ mitosis
◆ gamete production
▪ meiosis

AP Biology
 DNA replication
“It has not escaped our notice that
the specific pairing we have
postulated immediately suggests a
possible copying mechanism for the
genetic material.”
James Watson
Francis Crick
1953

AP Biology
 1953 | 1962
Watson and Crick … and others…

AP Biology
 1953 | 1962
Maurice Wilkins… and…

AP Biology
 Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958)

AP Biology
 Interesting note…
▪ Ratio of A-T::G-C
affects stability
of DNA molecule
◆ 2 H bonds vs. 3 H bonds
◆ biotech procedures
▪ more G-C =
need higher T° to
separate strands
◆ high T° organisms
▪ many G-C
◆ parasites
▪ many A-T (don’t know why)

AP Biology
 Another interesting note…
▪ ATP
Adenosine triphosphate

◆ modified nucleotide
▪ adenine (AMP) + Pi + Pi

+ +

AP Biology
 ▪ The Human Genome Project was
effectively completed in the early 2000s
▪ An unplanned benefit of the project was
the development of faster, less
expensive sequencing methods
▪ The first human genome took over 10
years to sequence
▪ Currently, a human genome could be
completed in just a few days
AP Biology
© 2016 Pearson
 MAKE CONNECTIONS:
Contributions of Genomics and Proteomics to Biology
Figure 3.30

Paleontology Evolution

Hippopotamus
Short-finned pilot whale
Species
Medical Science Conservation Biology Interactions

AP Biology
© 2016 Pearson
 DNA and Proteins as Tape
Measures of Evolution
▪ The linear sequences of nucleotides in
DNA molecules are passed from
parents to offspring
▪ Two closely related species are more
similar in DNA than are more distantly
related species
▪ Molecular biology can be used to
assess evolutionary kinship
AP Biology