Nucleic Acids Meghan Arora Jeff Chen Julia Kubik Pratibha Sharma Anna Ye.

Nucleic Acids

Meghan AroraJeff Chen

Julia KubikPratibha Sharma

Anna Ye

Functions

Types:

•Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) •Ribonucleic acid (RNA)

These molecules:

•Store and transmit hereditary material•Allow living organisms to pass on their traits

DNA• Made of hundreds to

thousands of genes

• Contains all the information that program all cell activities

• During cell reproduction, DNA is copied and passed on to the next generation

• Favourable traits are preserved, copied, and continue to be passed down

o Species evolve

RNA

• Synthesized by genes along the length of a DNA molecule

• Controls protein synthesis

• Sends genetic instructions for building proteins from the nucleus to ribosomes located in the cytoplasm

Monomer

Smallest unit of nucleic acids is a nucleotide

A nucleotide consists of:

•pentose sugar•phosphate group•one of four differentnitrogenous bases(A, G, C, and T or U)

•RNA has ribose as its pentose and U as one of its bases

•DNA has deoxyribose as its pentose and T as one of its bases

Parts of a Monomer: Nitrogenous Base

Pyrimidines:

• Six membered ring of carbon and nitrogen atoms

Purines

• Six membered pyrimidine ring, fused to an additional five membered ring

There are two families of nitrogenous bases: pyrimidines and purines

Parts of a Monomer: Pentose

• Ribose in nucleotides of RNA

• Deoxyribose in DNA

• Only difference is that deoxyribose lacks an oxygen atom on its number 2 carbon, hence the name

Parts of a Monomer: Phosphate Group

A phosphate group attached to the number 5 carbon of the sugar completes the construction of a nucleotide

Significance:

•Main energy source in a cell- releases -7.3 kcal of energy per mole, ( -13 kcal/mol in natural environments)

•Its high reactivity is caused by the triphosphate tail- the phosphate groups are all negatively charged and act like a loaded spring

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) The cell performs three main

functions:

1. Mechanical Work2.Transport Work3. Chemical Work

Pg.94

• Energy released from the hydrolysis of ATP is used to transfer the extra phosphate group to energy absorbing reactions with the help of specific enzymes

• The altered phosphorylated molecule is an intermediate and more reactive

• Ex. synthesis of glutamine (an amino acid) from glutamic acid and ammonia

• Another vital property of ATP is its regenerative quality, called the ATP cycle

How ATP Performs Work

Pg.95

ATP can be recycled through the phosphorylation of ADP (when ADP combines with a phosphate), and where the energy required for that reaction comes from catabolism (breakdown reactions).In most cases, the energy comes from cellular respiration and light energy in plants. Below: The ATP cycle

The ATP Cycle

Pg.95

http://rachelkahn3b.edublogs.org/2011/11/29/dna-structure-model-lab/

http://www.mrmacaraeg.com/Biology_11_Downloads.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RNA-comparedto-DNA_thymineAndUracilCorrected.png

http://digitaljournal.com/img/8/7/3/i/5/9/6/o/060130dnastrand.jpg

http://ap-bio-patrick-steed.wikispaces.com/DNA+vs+RNA,+DNA+Replication

http://www.thaibiotech.info/Picture/Phosphate.gif

Works Cited