DNA ,RNA and PROTEIN

STRUCTURE
 DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)

• “DNA is a group of molecules that is responsible for carrying and

transmitting the hereditary materials or the genetic instructions
from parents to offsprings.”
• Apart from being responsible for the inheritance of genetic
information in all living beings, DNA also plays a crucial role in the
production of proteins.
• DNA or otherwise called deoxyribonucleic acid is the building
block of the life. It contains the information the cell requires to
synthesize protein and to replicate itself, to be short it is the
storage repository for the information that is required for
any cell to function.
 STRUCTURE OF DNA

• DNA is made of two linked strands that wind around each other to resemble a
twisted ladder — a shape known as a double helix. Each strand has a backbone
made of alternating sugar (deoxyribose) and phosphate groups. Attached to each
sugar is one of four bases: adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G) or thymine (T).
The two strands are connected by chemical bonds between the bases: adenine
bonds with thymine, and cytosine bonds with guanine. The sequence of the
bases along DNA’s backbone encodes biological information, such as the
instructions for making a protein or RNA molecule.
• Molecules of DNA range in length from hundreds of thousands to millions of base
pairs. The smallest chromosome in the human genome, Chromosome 21, has
around 48 million base pairs.
• Each strand of DNA is
a polynucleotide
composed of units
called nucleotides. A
nucleotide has three
components: a sugar
molecule, a
phosphate group, and
a nitrogenous base.
• The sugar in DNA’s nucleotides is
called deoxyribose—DNA is an
abbreviation for
deoxyribonucleic acid. RNA
molecules use a different sugar,
called ribose.
• Covalent bonds join the sugar of
one nucleotide to the phosphate
group of the next nucleotide,
forming the DNA strand’s sugar-
phosphate backbone.
• The sequence of nitrogenous bases on
one strand of a DNA molecule’s double
helix matches up in a particular way
with the sequence on the other strand.
Adenine pairs with thymine and
cytosine pairs with guanine.
 Why do the nitrogenous
bases pair in this specific
way?

• The bases on each strand are

joined to the bases on the other
strand with hydrogen bonds, but
different bases have different
chemical structures. Cytosine and
thymine (and uracil in RNA) are
pyrimidines, containing one ring.
Adenine and guanine are purines,
containing two rings. The
pyrimidines pair with the purines:
cytosine and guanine form three
hydrogen bonds, and adenine and
thymine form two.
• Chromosomes can vary widely in their number of base
pairs and genes. The longest chromosome in human cells,
Chromosome 1, is around 249 million base pairs long and
has between 2000 and 2100 distinct genes. Chromosome
21, the shortest human chromosome, consists of 48
million base pairs and contains between 200 and 300
genes. Overall, prokaryotic cells have shorter
chromosomes with fewer genes. For example, the
bacterium Carsonella rudii has only 159,662 base pairs
and 182 genes in its entire genome.
 FACT…..
• Did you know that we are all far more alike
than we are different? In fact, the DNA
from any two people is 99.9% identical,
with that shared blueprint guiding our
development and forming a common thread
across the world. The differing 0.1%
contains variations that influence our
uniqueness, which when combined with our
environmental and social contexts give us
our abilities, our health, our behavior.
 RNA (Ribonucleic Acid)

• RNA is a ribonucleic acid that helps in the synthesis of

proteins in our body. This nucleic acid is responsible for
the production of new cells in the human body. It is
usually obtained from the DNA molecule. RNA resembles
the same as that of DNA, the only difference being that
it has a single strand unlike the DNA which has two
strands and it consists of an only single ribose sugar
molecule in it. Hence is the name Ribonucleic acid. RNA
is also referred to as an enzyme as it helps in the
process of chemical reactions in the body.
 STRUCTURE OF RNA

The ribonucleic acid has all the components same

to that of the DNA with only 2 main differences
within it. RNA has the same nitrogen bases called
the Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine as that of the
DNA except for the Thymine which is replaced by
the Uracil.
Adenine and uracil are considered as the major
building blocks of RNA and both of them form
base-pair with the help of 2 hydrogen bonds.
RNA resembles a hairpin structure and like the
nucleotides in DNA, nucleotides are formed in this
ribonucleic material(RNA).
 Functions of RNA

• The ribonucleic acid – RNA, which are mainly composed of nucleic acids, are
involved in a variety of functions within the cell and are found in all living
organisms including bacteria, viruses, plants, and animals. These nucleic acid
functions as a structural molecule in cell organelles and are also involved in the
catalysis of biochemical reactions. The different types of RNA are involved in
various cellular process. The primary functions of RNA:

•Facilitate the translation of DNA into proteins

•Functions as an adapter molecule in protein synthesis
•Serves as a messenger between the DNA and the ribosomes.
•They are the carrier of genetic information in all living cells
•Promotes the ribosomes to choose the right amino acid which is required in building
up of new proteins in the body.
 RNA Types

• There are various types of RNA, out which most well-known

and most commonly studied in the human body are :
tRNA – Transfer RNA
• The transfer RNA is held responsible for choosing the correct
protein or the amino acids required by the body in-turn
helping the ribosomes. It is located at the endpoints of each
amino acid. This is also called as soluble RNA and it forms a
link between the messenger RNA and the amino acid.
 RNA Types
rRNA-Ribosomal RNA
• The rRNA is the component of the ribosome and are
located within the cytoplasm of a cell, where
ribosomes are found. In all living cells, the
ribosomal RNA plays a fundamental role in the
synthesis and translation of mRNA into proteins. The
rRNA is mainly composed of cellular RNA and are the
most predominant RNA within the cells of all living
beings.
 RNA Types
mRNA – Messenger RNA.
• This type of RNA functions by transferring the genetic
material into the ribosomes and pass the instructions
about the type of proteins, required by the body cells.
Based on the functions, these types of RNA is called
the messenger RNA. Therefore, the mRNA plays a vital
role in the process of transcription or during the
protein synthesis process.
 PROTEINS
• A protein is a naturally occurring, extremely complex substance that
consists of amino acid residues joined by peptide bonds. Proteins
are present in all living organisms and include many essential
biological compounds such as enzymes, hormones, and antibodies.
 PROTEIN STRUCTURE
• Proteins are polypeptide structures consisting of one or more long
chains of amino acid residues. They carry out a wide variety of
organism functions, including DNA replication, transporting
molecules, catalyzing metabolic reactions, and providing
structural support to cells. A protein can be identified based on
each level of its structure.
• Proteins are made up of amino acids which undergo various stages
of folding to form their shape and structure. Depending on the
structure of the protein they will have different functions within
the body, including structural, regulatory, contractile and
protective roles.
 Amino acids

• Amino acids are the basic

building blocks of proteins. Their
structure consists of three main
groups as seen in figure 1,
namely the amino group or N
terminus, the carboxyl group or
C terminus, and the R group
which contains the functional
component of the amino acid.
The R group gives the amino acid
specific features according to its
polarity and charge, which then
affect the chemical and
biological properties of the
protein.
 Structure

Protein structure can be

divided into four main
categories depending on
the level of complexity.
Long Quiz next meeting…