Nucleic Acids and Proteins The Big Picture Nucleic acids store the genetic instructions that help make all living things (organisms). Proteins determine how we look and act, and nucleic acids determine how proteins look and act. So you need one to make the other. The two types of nucleic acids are DNA and RNA . DNA and RNA are polymers because they are long molecules with many parts. DNA and RNA are made up of monomers (single molecules) called nucleotides . Nucleotides consist of a sugar, phosphate group, and nitrogenous base, as seen below. The sugar in DNA is called “Deoxyribose” and the sugar in RNA is called “Ribose”. (The NA stands for “Nucleic Acid”!) Two strands of nucleotides stacked together make a DNA molecule. Notice that Adenine (A) always pairs with Thymine (T) and Cytosine (C) always pairs with Guanine (G). This is called “base-pairing.” During a process called transcription , DNA uses its letter code of A’s, T’s, C’s, and G’s, to tell the body to make the other nucleic acid- RNA. RNA is very similar to DNA but has a different sugar (ribose instead of deoxyribose), uses the base Uracil (U) instead of Thymine (T), and is only one strand instead of two. Then during a process called translation , RNA uses its own letter code of A’s, U’s, C’s and G’s to tell DNA Molecu le RNA Molecu le
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Nucleic Acids and Proteins The Big Picture
Nucleic acids store the genetic instructions that help make all living things (organisms). Proteins determine how we look and act, and nucleic acids determine how proteins look and act. So you need one to make the other. The two types of nucleic acids are DNA and RNA. DNA and RNA are polymers because they are long molecules with many parts. DNA and RNA are made up of monomers (single molecules) called nucleotides. Nucleotides consist of a sugar, phosphate group, and nitrogenous base, as seen below. The sugar in DNA is called “Deoxyribose” and the sugar in RNA is called “Ribose”. (The NA stands for “Nucleic Acid”!)
Two strands of nucleotides stacked together make a DNA molecule. Notice that Adenine (A) always pairs with Thymine (T) and Cytosine (C) always pairs with Guanine (G). This is called “base-pairing.”
During a process called transcription, DNA uses its letter code of A’s, T’s, C’s, and G’s, to tell the body to make the other nucleic acid- RNA. RNA is very similar to DNA but has a different sugar (ribose instead of deoxyribose), uses the base Uracil (U) instead of Thymine (T), and is only one strand instead of two.
Then during a process called translation, RNA uses its own letter code of A’s, U’s, C’s and G’s to tell the body to make proteins. Chains of amino acids make up proteins, and it takes 3 nucleotide bases to make an amino acid. So every 3 nucleotide bases in RNA make an amino acid, and amino acids strung together make up proteins. Another name for proteins is polypeptides. This means amino acids are the monomers of proteins, and polypeptides are the polymers of proteins. Proteins carry out many functions in the body. Proteins can be enzymes (which make chemical reactions faster), they can provide structure to the body (like in bones and muscles!), they help cells signal to each other (hormones), and they control what goes in and out of cells (cell membrane). The shape of the protein determines its function, and the shape is determined by the RNA code, which came from
DNA Molecule
RNA Molecule
the DNA code. So simply put, DNA determines how proteins look and work, which determine how we (the organism) look and work
Build-a-DNA Molecule
Materials: Jelly beans (nitrogenous bases), cherry sours (phosphate groups), Twizzler bites (sugars), and toothpicks (bonds)
1. Make a nucleotide. 2. Make a bunch of them with all different bases.
3. Attach nucleotides together in a random
order to make a single DNA chain
4.
Make a matching DNA strand that faces the opposite direction, such that the base-pairing is correct. Remember that Adenine (T) matches with Thymine (T) and Cytosine (C) matches with Guanine (G).
5. Attach both strands together, and twist to get the DNA double helix.
Note: To make an RNA molecule, complete steps 1-3 but switch out the Thymine (T) nitrogenous base for a new Uracil (U) nitrogenous base of a different color. Only make one strand.
Sugar ^ Nitrogenous
Base
Phosphate Group
Build-a-Protein
Background: For every three nucleotide bases in RNA, an amino acid can be formed. Amino acids are represented by the beads. Stringing together amino acids make up an amino acid chain, also known as a polypeptide chain, which can be folded into a protein.
Procedure:
1. Build an amino acid chain (1O or “primary” structure)Beads represent amino acids. String them along the pipe cleaner to create a chain of amino acids.
2. Build an alpha helix (2O or “secondary” structure)Coil your chain of amino acids around a pen/pencil to create an alpha helix.
3. Partner up with another student to build a coiled protein (3O or “tertiary” structure)Condense/lightly crumple your alpha helix and join it to another person’s alpha helix.
5. Group up with another pair to build a large protein (4O or “quaternary” structure) Join another pair so you have four people’s work total. Attach your structures together.
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