NUCLEIC ACIDs

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nucleic acid in nucleus of cell and called it "nuclein". The term nucleic acid was
E.Meischer discovered pus
coined by "Altman."

Nucleic acids are polymers of nucleotides.

= Nitrogen base + pentose sugar + phosphate
Onthe basis of structure nitrogen bases are broadly of two types
Carbon
Pyrimidines -

Consist of one pyrimidine ring. Skeleton of ring is composed of two nitrogen and four
atoms. e.g. Cytosine, Thymine and Uracil

NH2 O

HN3
CH
N
HN3
O

N N
H H
H
URACIL THYMINE
CYTOSINE
4C) and imidazole ring (2N + 3C)
rings i.e. one pyrimidine ring (2N e.g.
+ one
Purines Consist of two
Adenine and Guanine.

NH2 Q
N HN
HN N
N H
H
GUANINE
ADENINE

Pentose Sugar
CHOH OH CH,OH0 OH
H/ HO-P-OH
H OH
OH
OH OH Deoxy ribose Phosphate
Ribose
147
 a
n u c l e o s i d e .

Nitrogen of tirst
sugar
to
form

of ninth
of nin N foms bon
place (N.) pDat
e s nitrogen
Pre-Medical:Biology
nitrogen

of
pentose
r ipn
first
carbon of
carbon penwhile in urines

bond with
Nitrogen base
forms
of
p y r i m i d i n e s

sugar
to form
a
mplete nucleotide
sugar in
case

(N,) forms bond with Carborn of

with fifth
with sugar. (covalent
bond) H
foms ester bond H
sphate

H- H

O
I
O-P-O HO
4K H
Phosphate
OH H
Deoxyribose
Nucleoside

Nucleotide

Nucleosides and Nucleotides

ypes of

Ribose Adenosine
1. Adenine +
=

Adenosine + Phosphate =
Adenylic acid (AMP)

Deoxyribose = Deoxyadenosine
2 Adenine +

+ P =
Deoxyadenylic acid (dAMP)
Deoxyadenosine

Guanine + Ribose = Guanosine

3.
Guanosine + P = Guanylic acid (GMP)
Guanine+ Deoxyribose =Deoxyguanosine
4
Deoxyguanosine + P= Deoxyguanylic acid (dGMP)
Cytosine+ Ribose = Cytidine
5.
Cytidi +P Cytidylicacid CMP)
Cytosine+ Deoxyribose = Deoxycytidine
6
Deoxycytidine + P =
Deoxycytidylic acid (dCMP)
Uracil +Ribose = Uridine
7.
Uridine+ P =Uridylic acid (UMP)
8.8. Thymine+ Deoxyribose=Deoxythymidine
Deoxythymidine + P= Deoxythymidylic acid (dTMP)

148
 Pre-Medical: Biology
covered by -
Meische DNA
DNA
erm was given by Zacharis
In
DNA
pentose sugar deoxyribose sugar and four
types of nitro
itrogen bases A,T,G,C

34

******************

*s*******

*******************

A
************

******************)
* * **************

3.4 A
***************

**********************
******************

10 HO

Wilkins and Franklin studied DNA molecule with the help of X-Ray crystallography.
Both the strands of DNA are parallelto each other according to Wilkins &Frankin.
With the help of this study, Watson and Crick (1953) proposed a double helix molel for DNA. For this
model Watson, Crick and Wilkins were awarded by Noble Prize in 1962.
According to this model, DNA is composed of two polynucleotide chains.

Both polynucleotide chains are complementary and antiparallel to each other.

hthe two strands of DNA direction of phosphodiester bonds is opposite. ie. If irection of phosphodiester
Onds in one strand is 3-5' then it is 5-3 in another strand.

Doth strands of DNA are held together by hydrogen bonds. These hydrogen bonds are present between

itrogen bases of both strands.

to guanine by three hydrogen bonds
Adenine Dinds to thymine by two hydrogen bonds and cytosine binds
ue

purine nucleotides is equal to

In double stranded DNA amount of
aur's equivalency rule a

nOunt of
pyrimidine nucleotides.
Purine= Pyrimidine
A +[G = [T] + [C

A-1C-1
IT+[C 149
 Pre-Medical:Biology
ALLE
Configuration of DNA Molecule:- ladder (Back bones)
bones)aare composed
Reilings
of this
ladder.
WO strands
of DNA are helicallycoiled like a revolving
of nitrogen ases
composed of pairs
and sugars while steps (bars)
aie
Pspnates

of DNA
m o l e c u l e there a re
steps such 10
A°. In o n e
complete turm pitch of the helix
between two successive steps is
3.4 This is called
turn is 34 A°.
DIstance
complete
(10 pairs of nitrogen bases). So the length ofone
strands is
20A°
zuA.
of two
between phosphates
aneter of DNA molecule i.e. distance

At each step of ascent, strand turns 36°.

Molecular weight of DNA is 106 to 10° dalton.

nucleoprorein.
form
with histone proteins to
In nucleus of eukaryotes the DNA is associated

Bond between DNA and Histones is salt linkage (Mg*.

is circular.
mitochondria and chloroplast it
DNA in chromosomes is linear while in prokaryotes,

and circular.
In x 174 bacteriophage the DNA is single stranded

RIBO NUCLEIC ACID (RNA)

differences. The difterences are as
Structure of RNA is fundamentally the same as DNA, but there are some

follows: is present in RNA.

(1) In place of De-oxyribose sugar in DNA, Ribose sugar
uracil is present in RNA.
(2) In place of nitrogen base Thymine in DNA,
chain i.e. RNA is single stranded.
(3) RNA is made up of only one polynucleotide
Exception :
RNA found in Reo virus is double stranded, i.e. it has two polynucleotide chains.

BEGINNER'S BOX-5
1. Adenosine is a :

(1) N-base (2) Nucleotide (3) Nucleoside (4) Purine base

2. Common in all nucleotides is-

(2) Nitrogenous bases (3) Phosphate (4) All
(1) Sugar
3. Two strands of DNA double helix are

(1) Parallel & complementary (2) Antiparallel & complementary

(3) Parallel & non-complementary (4) Antiparallel & non complementary
4. The length of one complete turn of B-DNA is

(1) 0.34 nm (2) 3.4 nm (3) 34 nm (4) 340 nm

5. In place of 5-methyl uracil in DNA. is present in RNA :-

(1) Thymirne (2) Uracil (3) Adenine (4) Guanine

150