Nucleic Acids
Module 5 | S-BIOL313 Biomolecules Lecture
Nucleic Acids
- Nucleic acids are biopolymers that carry
information inside cells
- Two main kinds:
- Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
- Ribonucleic acid (RNA)
- DNA stores the genetic information for a cell
and is inherited and passed down through
generations of organisms
3 major Differences between RNA and DNA
- RNA is a short-lived copy of particular sections
of genetic information, which are used to direct
the synthesis of proteins during gene expression.
- The monomers - the bits that make up the
polymer
- Monomer is known as a nucleotide
- A molecule that has three sections – a sugar, a
base, and a phosphate group
Nucleotide Structure
- Each nucleic acid consists of a repeating subunit
called nucleotides.
- Each nucleotide is made up of three components-
a pentose (5 carbon) sugar, a phosphate group
and a nitrogenous base
- In DNA, the sugar is 2-deoxyribose
- In RNA the sugar is ribose
- Polynucleotides (lots of nucleotides joined
together) — formed by joining the hydroxyl (OH)
group on the sugar of one nucleotide to the
phosphate group of another nucleotide.
- Therefore, nucleic acid is a chain of 5-carbon
sugars linked together
- Polynucleotides have poles- a "top" and a
"bottom". One end has the phosphate group and
the other end has the hydroxyl from a sugar.
- Also known as “five-prime” or “three-prime”
- The prime (‘) means that the numbering is present
in the sugar and not in the nitrogenous base
Nitrogenous bases
- There are 5 types of nitrogenous bases, split
into two categories
- The purines, has large, double-ring
molecules
- adenine (A)
- guanine (G).
- pyrimidines, which have single-ring
molecules
- cytosine (C, in both DNA and
RNA),
- thymine (T, in DNA only),
- uracil (U, in RNA only).
Nucleotide Function
- Organisms use sequences of nucleotides in
DNA to keep the information needed to
produce specific sequences of amino acids,
which in turn are used to build proteins.
- These sequences of nucleotides are written in
a code, furthermore, these sequences will be
transcribed to produce proteins.
1) RNA contains ribose as the sugar while DNA
contains 2-deoxyribose
2) RNA uses uracil (U) while DNA uses thymine
(T).
3) RNA is single-stranded while DNA is
double-stranded
Biological functions of RNA
1) RNA can carry information, in the form of
messenger RNA (mRNA)
2) RNA can be part of the ribosome, in the case
of ribosomal RNA (rRNA)
3) RNA can carry amino acids, in the form of
transfer RNA (tRNA)
4) RNA can also act as an enzyme, as well as
regulate gene
Biological functions of DNA
1) DNA contains the genetic material
responsible for inheritance.
2) DNA directs and regulates protein synthesis.
- The biological function of DNA includes
vertical gene transfer (transmission of stored
information from mother to daughter cells)
- DNA replication (duplicate copy of DNA
during cell division)
- In eukaryotes, DNA is a linear-stranded
double helix wrapped around histones
(proteins that act as spools around which
DNA is wound) to form a nucleosome
- .In base pairing, guanine is always paired with
cytosine while adenine is always paired with
thymine (in DNA) or with uracil (in RNA).
- RNA is structurally similar to DNA however is
single-stranded, includes ribose (not
deoxyribose), and replaces thymine with
uracil.
- RNA is important in protein synthesis. There
are three types of RNA: messenger RNA
(mRNA), ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and transfer
RNA (tRNA).
Nucleic Acids
Module 5 | S-BIOL313 Biomolecules Lecture

Types of RNA

1) Messenger RNA (mRNA)

- is a linear molecule that carries a copy of the
gene to be expressed from the nucleus.
- unstable, single-stranded RNA corresponding
to a gene encoded within DNA.
- it directs the synthesis of the protein it
encodes.
2) Transfer RNA (tRNA)
- is a single strand of RNA which folds due to
base pairing to form this unusual shape (like a
cloverleaf).
- It has a triplet anti-codon site and an
attachment site for a specific amino acid.
- is short (70-90 nucleotides), stable RNA with
extensive intramolecular base pairing;
contains an amino acid binding site and an
mRNA binding site.
- carries the correct amino acid to the site of
protein synthesis in the ribosome.
3) Ribosomal RNA (rRNA)
- in part form the ribosome which is the
structure where protein synthesis takes place.
- Longer, stable RNA molecules make up 60% of
the ribosome's mass.
- rRNA ensures alignment of mRNA, mRNA,
tRNA, and ribosome during protein synthesis,
- catalyzes peptide bond formation between
amino acids.

DNA Packaging
- A eukaryote contains a well-defined nucleus
- Whereas in prokaryotes the chromosome lies
in the cytoplasm in an area called the
nucleoid.
- In eukaryotic cells, DNA and RNA synthesis
occur in a separate compartment from
protein synthesis.
- In prokaryotic cells, both processes occur
together.
- Supercoiling means that DNA is either
- under-wound (less than one turn of
the helix per 10 base pairs)
- over-wound (more than 1 turn per 10
base pairs) from its normal relaxed
state.
- In eukaryotes, DNA is wrapped around
proteins known as histones to form structures
called nucleosomes.
- The histones are evolutionarily conserved
proteins that are rich in basic amino acids and
form an octamer.