The Molecule of Life. Carry the instructions to build proteins Carry hereditary instructions from...

DNAThe Molecule of Life

Carry the instructions to build proteins

Carry hereditary instructions from one

generation to the next.

Nucleic acids are built from NUCLEOTIDES

(simple building blocks that are found in

the cytoplasm of the cell).

NUCLEIC ACIDS

There are two types of nucleic acids:1. DNA - deoxyribonucleic acid2. RNA - ribonucleic acid

One phosphate group

One sugar group: DNA (deoxyribose) or RNA

(ribose)

One nitrogenous base

NUCLEIC ACIDS

Nucleotide

5-Carbon Sugar

Phosphate group

Nitrogenous Base

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:PhosphodiesterBondDiagram.png

Author: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:G3pro

NUCLEOTIDE

Phosphate group

Nitrogenous Base (GC or AT)

5-Carbon Sugar

The four possible nucleotides in DNA are:

phosphate - sugar - guanine

phosphate - sugar - adenine

phosphate - sugar - cytosine

phosphate - sugar - thymine

NUCLEIC ACIDS

The four possible nucleotides in RNA are:

phosphate - sugar - guanine

phosphate - sugar - adenine

phosphate - sugar - cytosine

phosphate - sugar - uracil

NUCLEIC ACIDS

The nitrogenous bases are:

NUCLEOTIDES

Adenine

Thymine

Guanine

Cytosine

In DNA, the base pairs are: guanine – cytosine adenine – thymine*

In RNA, the base pairs are: guanine – cytosine adenine - uracil*

BASE PAIRS

BASE PAIRS

Source: ©1999 William Reusch, All rights reserved (most recent revision 7/16/2007) – Permission granted

Source: Madeleine Price Ball

HYDROGEN BONDS IN BASE PAIRS

Source: ©1999 William Reusch, All rights reserved (most recent revision 7/16/2007) – Permission granted

DNA is a double helix structure that curves

up and to the right.

The curve or twist of DNA creates a minor

and major groove.

DNA Structure

Source: ©1999 William Reusch, All rights reserved (most recent revision 7/16/2007) – Permission granted

Source: 3dscience and en.wikipedia

A molecule transcribed from DNA Provides a template for protein synthesis Three kinds of RNA:

◦ mRNA – communicates the amino acid sequence for protein synthesis

◦ tRNA – brings the correct amino acid to the growing polypeptide chain

◦ rRNA – the site of protein synthesis in the ribosome

RNA

RNA

Source: Sverdrup @en.wikipedia

Source: Access Excellence @ the National Health Museumhttp://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/VL/GG/rna2.php

Source: ©1999 William Reusch, All rights reserved (most recent revision 7/16/2007) – Permission granted

Source: ©1999 William Reusch, All rights reserved (most recent revision 7/16/2007) – Permission granted