1. Nucleic Acids nucleic acids store and transmit hereditary information
Contain the following elements:
C, H, N, O, P
Two types of nucleic acids:
DNA
RNA

2. 1. DNA = Deoxyribonucleic acid
“encodes the instructions”(genetic code)
for the specific amino acid sequence
of a protein
is copied and passed from one generation of cells to another
(condensed DNA = chromosome)
Eukaryotes- nucleus
Prokaryotes- cytoplasm

3. 2. RNA = Ribonucleic acid functions in the actual
synthesis of proteins
coded for by DNA
mRNA

4. DNA ==> RNA ==> Protein
mRNA carries the encoded information to the ribosomes; tRNA carries the amino acids to the ribosome; & rRNA is a major component of ribosomes
DNA ==> RNA ==> Protein

5. Structure of Nucleic Acids
Nucleic acids are macromolecules built of monomers called NUCLEOTIDES

6. Each nucleotide consists of: 1. 5-carbon sugar: -deoxyribose in DNA
-ribose in RNA
2.   Phosphate group (attached to #5 carbon on
sugar)
3.   Nitrogenous base
purines (double ring; A & G)
pyrimidines (single ring; C, T & U)

7. nucleotides are joined together by phosphodiester linkages (between phosphate of one nucleotide and the sugar of the next)
this results in a backbone with a repeating pattern of: sugar-phosphate-sugar-phosphate... 7

8. Dehydration
Synthesis