The Instruction Manuals to Life Nucleic Acids The Instruction Manuals to Life

What are Nucleic Acids? Nucleic acids carry genetic material in an organism, but the two kinds carry out different functions. There are two types: Deoxyribonucleic acids or DNA, and ribonucleic acids or RNA. There are differences between both of them but their key similarity is that they are important for passing down genetic material to offspring and allow cell replication.

What is DNA? DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acids is a nucleic acid that is found in every living cell. It is the genetic “blueprint” of all living organisms. DNA passes on this information to offspring, in both sexual and asexual reproduction. In eukaryotes DNA is inside of the cell’s nucleus while prokaryotes will have it float freely in the cytoplasm of the cell. In humans and other organisms we have chromosomes which are made up of our individual DNA. This genetic material will determine all of your characteristics but DNA itself is also made up of smaller parts and has a similar structure as to RNA.

WHAT IS RNA? RNA, or ribonucleic acid, carries out all actions necessary to allow the cells to grow, function, and replicate what is in the DNA. It does this by copying the DNA and making appropriate proteins that carry out these functions. It is made up of ribose, where as DNA is made up of deoxyribose, both kinds of sugars. RNA can also act as an enzyme to speed up chemical reactions in the body relating to growth. Instead of a double helix like DNA, RNA only has a single helix. This may help you distinguish diagrams and pictures of DNA and RNA throughout the presentation.

“DNA makes RNA makes protein”

Structure of DNA All DNA has the same basic structure. DNA is made up of nucleotides. These nucleotides consist of a 5 carbon sugar, a phosphate group and one of four different nitrogen bases. These bases are adenine, guanine, thymine, and cytosine. The 5 carbon sugar that is in DNA is deoxyribose. When the nucleotides come together they form a double stranded chain that looks like a spiral staircase or a twisted ladder called a double helix.

Structure of RNA Structurally, RNA is very similar, almost identical, to that of DNA. RNA also consists of a 5 carbon sugar. Instead of having a phosphate group, it just has one molecule of phosphate. RNA has one of four nitrogenous bases: either adenine, guanine, cytosine or uracil. One may notice that RNA does not have all of the same potential bases in common with DNA, one difference between the two. Instead of deoxyribose sugar, RNA is made up of ribose sugar. While DNA has two strands of nucleotides, RNA only has one. Also, the composition of the nucleotides in DNA and RNA differ. RNA nucleotides have a uracil base rather than the thymine base in DNA.

What does DNA do? DNA is genetic material and it works with RNA to control the activities of cells. This is accomplished through the four bases; adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine, as mentioned earlier. These bases are all in a unique order on the double helix. The specific order is important because they are kind of like letters in the alphabet that form words that can be read by your body as instructions. These instructions control protein synthesis, activities of the cell and also the replication of DNA during cell division.

What does RNA do? RNA takes necessary genetic information from DNA and is responsible for carrying out these functions. RNA can create proteins to perform these actions. These may include creating proteins to build various structures in the body. It also has the ability to act as an enzyme and speed up chemical reactions in the body. One example of RNA in action is developing a fetus after receiving genetic information, DNA, and creating materials and performing necessary actions to develop that baby.

DNA Replication

Game Time! Match the words with their correct definitions/explanations. RNA Double Helix Nucleotide Thymine Uracil DNA A)One of the four nitrogen bases in DNA that bonds with adenine. B)Short for Deoxyribonucleic acid and it is genetic material in all living organisms. C)The name of the structure of DNA: formed by two strands of nucleotides. D)These small molecules make up DNA and RNA. They contain a 5 carbon sugar, a phosphate group and a nitrogen base. E)A nitrogen base that is unique to RNA and it bonds with adenine. F)Short for ribonucleic acids. This nucleic acid has one strand of nucleotides and is made of the sugar ribose.

Answers RNA-F Double Helix-C Nucleotide-D Thymine-A Uracil-E DNA-B

Image Citations https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/basics/dna https://www.thoughtco.com/dna-replication-3981005 https://www.thoughtco.com/dna-versus-rna-608191 http://theconversation.com/new-study-may-help-explain-how-type-2-diabetes-and- obesity-are-inherited-62122