Nucleic Acids: A. Dna

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NUCLEIC ACIDS
I. Definition / Description
- Friedrich Miescher discovered nucleic acids in 1869 when studying the nuclei
of white blood cells. The fact that they were initially found in nuclei accounts
for the name nucleic acids.
- made up of polymers of nucleotides.
II. Types of Nucleic Acids

A. DNA
- Deoxyribonucleic acid
- Found in the nucleus
- Needed for the storage and transfer of genetic information
B. RNA
- Ribonucleic acid
- Found in various parts of the cell.
- Needed for protein synthesis
III. Nucleotides
- Are the building blocks of nucleic acids.
- Is a three – subunit molecule in which a pentose sugar is bonded to both
a phosphate group and a nitrogen containing heterocyclic base.
Nucleotide Structure
1. Pentose Sugar
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2. Nitrogen containing heterocyclic base

a. Pyrimidine - monocyclic base with six membered ring
b. Purines – bicyclic base with fused five and six - membered rings
3. Phosphate group
- Phosphate groups are bonded to the pentose.
- the number of phosphate groups present usually ranges from one – three.
Nucleosides
- a compound that consists of D-ribose or 2-deoxy-D-ribose bonded to a
purine or pyrimidine base by a β -N-glycosidic bond.
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Nucleotide Nomenclature
1. The prefix deoxy at the start of the name signifies that the sugar is
deoxyribose. If no prefix is present, then the sugar is ribose.
Name : (no prefix)
2. Purine bases ends with –osine while pyrimidine bases ends wih –idine
purines:
adenine = adenosine
guanine = guanosine
pyrimidines:
thymine = thymidine
cytosine = cytidine
uracil = uridine
Name: (no prefix) adenosine
3. Names end with phosphate also indicating the number of phosphate groups.
Use the prefixes mono, di, tri etc. Also indicate the carbon no. where the
phosphate is bonded
Name: (no prefix) adenosine 5’-triphosphate

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IV. Polynucleotides
- Nucleic acids are polynucleotides ; polymers of nucleotides.

- Nucleotides are linked to each other through a sugar – phosphate bond.
- Chain of alternating sugar and phosphate groups with the base groups
protruding from the chain at regular intervals.
A. DNA Double Helix
o a type of 2° structure of DNA in which two

polynucleotide strands are coiled around each
other in a screw-like fashion.
o A pair of nucleic acid chains with a

complimentary sequences can form a double-
helical structure
o Base pairing:
Adenin
e  Thymine “Apples in the Tree”
Cytosine  Guanine “Cars in the Garage”
B. RNA Structure
- Sugar-phosphate backbone for ribonucleotides linked by 3’-5’
phosphodiester bonds.
- RNA molecules usually single stranded.
- Ribose replaces deoxyribose.
- Uracil replaces thymine.
- Base pairing between U and A and G and C results in portions of the
single strand that become double stranded
-
V. Flow of Genetic Information
Central Dogma of Molecular Biology
The information contained in DNA molecules is transferred to RNA

molecules, and then from the RNA molecules the information is expressed in the
structure of proteins.
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Codon and Anticodons
During translation, the mRNA contains codons (triple codes made up of base units)
which corresponds to an amino acid. The tRNA that contains an anticodon (triple codes
of base units) that pairs up with the codons in the mRNA, carries with it the amino acid
that the codon codes for.
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The Triple Code
Determining the amino acid sequence

- use correct base pairings to determine the codons from the DNA sequence
and the correct anticodons based on the mRNA sequence.
- use the codons in the mRNA and the triple code to find out what amino acid
is coded for.
DNA :TAC–ACG–CGA–GCA–CTC–ACT
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
mRNA: A U G – U G C – G C U – C G U –G A G – U G A
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
tRNA : U A C – A C G – C G A – G C A – C U C – A C G
amino acids/message:
AUG– UGC – GCU – CGU – GAG – UGA

l l l l l l
Start – cysteine – alanine – arginine – glutamic acid – Stop
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Activity No. 17
Nucleic Acids
Name:________________________Program,Yr.& Sec.: ______Date:______Score:___
1. Given the nucleotide below, answer the following questions:

O
CH3
HN
5' O N
HOCH2 O
H H 1'
H 3' H
O H
-
O P O
-
O
What is the pentose present? ______________
What kind of base is present? ______________
What is the name of the base? ______________
How many phosphate group is present? ______
At what carbon is the phosphate group bonded? _____
What is the name of the nucleotide? ________________________________________
Is this nucleotide a part of DNA or RNA? Why?
______________________________________________________________________
2. Draw the structure of the nucleotide produced from:
2’ deoxyribose + guanine + two phosphate groups bonded to 5th Carbon of 2’-

deoxyribose
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What is its name? ____________________________________
3. Given the name: cytidine 5’ – diposphate,
What is the pentose present? _____________________
What base is present? ___________________________
How many phosphate groups are present? ___________
At what carbon of the pentose does the phosphate group bond? ________
Determine the hidden word using the one letter symbols of the amino acids from the
given DNA codes, codon and anticondon
DNA CODE CODON ANTICODON AMINO ACID AMINO ACID

NAME (ONE LETTER
SYMBOL)
GGA
GCG
UGC
AUA
CTC
TTG
UGU
CUU
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97

II. Types of Nucleic Acids

2. Nitrogen containing heterocyclic base

Name : (no prefix)

Name: (no prefix) adenosine

Name: (no prefix) adenosine 5’-triphosphate

- Nucleic acids are polynucleotides ; polymers of nucleotides.

A. DNA Double Helix

o a type of 2° structure of DNA in which two

o A pair of nucleic acid chains with a

Cytosine  Guanine “Cars in the Garage”

Central Dogma of Molecular Biology

The information contained in DNA molecules is transferred to RNA

Codon and Anticodons

The Triple Code

Determining the amino acid sequence

AUG– UGC – GCU – CGU – GAG – UGA

Name:________________________Program,Yr.& Sec.: ______Date:______Score:___

1. Given the nucleotide below, answer the following questions:

What kind of base is present? ______________

What is the name of the base? ______________

How many phosphate group is present? ______

At what carbon is the phosphate group bonded? _____

What is the name of the nucleotide? ________________________________________

Is this nucleotide a part of DNA or RNA? Why?

2. Draw the structure of the nucleotide produced from:

2’ deoxyribose + guanine + two phosphate groups bonded to 5th Carbon of 2’-

What is its name? ____________________________________

3. Given the name: cytidine 5’ – diposphate,

What is the pentose present? _____________________

What base is present? ___________________________

How many phosphate groups are present? ___________

DNA CODE CODON ANTICODON AMINO ACID AMINO ACID

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Name:__________________Program,Yr.& Sec.: Date:Score:_