Nucleic Acids
Nucleic Acid Basics Contain instructions to build proteins 2 types: DNA RNA Composed of smaller units called nucleotides Monomer: Nucleotide Polymer: Nucleic acid
Nucleotide Structure What is a nucleotide? Monomer of nucleic acid Nucleotides are made of three parts: A sugar Phosphate group Nitrogen base (either): Adenine (A), Guanine (G), Thymine (T), Cytosine (C) Nucleotides combine to make nucleic acids Instructions for cell to make proteins A phosphate group nitrogen-containing molecule, called a base deoxyribose (sugar)
1 min: Discuss with your neighbor 1. How many nucleotides are pictured? 2. What is this long chain (polymer) of nucleotides called? 3. Name the blue shaped pentagon molecule. 4. What are these individual monomers called? 5. What will these instructions be used to create? A Six G C Nucleic acid T Sugar T Nucleotides G Protein
Deoxyribonucleic Acid T Double Helix: 2 chains of nucleotides Four nitrogen bases: Adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine Chargaff’s Rules: A pairs with T C pairs with G (can you predict the missing bases?) Stores the info needed to make a protein Gene: section of DNA that codes for a protein G C G C C G T A
Nucleotides? How many 1 7 2 8 3 9 4 10 5 11 6 12
RNA Single chain of nucleotides RNA bases: Adenine, uracil, cytosine, guanine Function: Help cells with the creation of proteins Copies the DNA code Delivers code to ribosome to create protein U C U G A
1 min: Discuss with your neighbor Monomer Polymer Carbohydrates A? B? Proteins C? Protein Lipids D? Lipid Nucleic acids E? Nucleic acid monosaccharide polysaccharide Amino acid Fatty acid Nucleotide
Review Vocabulary: Monomer, Polymer, Nucleotide, Double helix, Nitrogen base Name the monomer of nucleic acids. How are the four nitrogen bases of DNA abbreviated? RNA? Name the three parts to a nucleotide. What does the phosphate molecule of a nucleotide bond with? If the DNA nitrogen bases were TACCGGAT, how would the attached DNA strand read? How are DNA and RNA different? Same?