Nucleic Acid

Nucleic Acids are the

most important
macromolecules for the
continuity of life. The carry
the genetic blueprint of a
cell and carry instructions
for the functioning of the
cell.
COMPONENTS OF
NUCLEIC ACID
There are five easy parts of nucleic acids.
All nucleic acids are made up of the
same building blocks (monomers).
Chemists call the monomers
"nucleotides." The five pieces are
uracil, cytosine, thymine, adenine, and
guanine. No matter what science class
you are in, you will always hear about
ATCG when looking at DNA. Uracil is
only found in RNA. Just as there are
twenty (20) amino acids needed by
humans to survive, we also require five
(5) nucleotides.
A single nucleotide is made up
of three components: a
nitrogen-containing base, a five-
carbon sugar, and a phosphate
group. The nitrogenous base is
either a purine or a pyrimidine.
The five-carbon sugar is either a
ribose (in RNA) or a deoxyribose
(in DNA) molecule.
 TYPES OF
NUCLEIC ACIDS
DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID

DNA is one of
the macromolecules, they are
essential to all living forms. 
Deoxyribonucleic acid contains
the genetic information, it is used
in the development and
functioning of all living organisms. 
The DNA segments carry genetic
information are called the genes. 
 RIBONUCLEIC ACID

 The functions of ribonucleic acid is to

convert genetic information from
genes into amino acid sequences of
protein. 
 In some viruses, RNA contains the
genetic information. 
 RNA is of three types, they are tRNA
(transfer RNA), mRNA (messenger
RNA) and rRNA (ribosomal RNA).
STRUCTURE
 Primary Structure

Primary structure of nucleic acids is

a linear sequence of nucleotides,
which are linked to each other by
phosphodiester
linkages. Nucleotides are made up of
three components - Nitrogenous
base, 5-carbon sugar and phosphate
groups.
 
SECONDARY STRUCTURE
Secondary structure is the interaction
between the bases. This structure
shows parts of which strands are bound
to each other. The two strands of DNA
in the double helix of the DNA are
2
bound to each other by hydrogen
bounds. The nucleotides on one strand
base pairs with the nucleotides of the
other strand. The secondary structure
of the DNA is predominantly the base
pairing of the two polynucleotide
strands forming a double helix.