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Nucleic Acid Structure and DNA Basics

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Terms in this set (12)

  • What are the building blocks of nucleic acids?
    Nucleotides are the building blocks of nucleic acids.
  • What are the three main components of a nucleotide?
    Nitrogenous base, pentose sugar, and phosphate group.
  • Which nitrogenous bases are purines in DNA?
    Adenine and Guanine are purines.
  • Which nitrogenous bases are pyrimidines in DNA?
    Cytosine and Thymine are pyrimidines.
  • Which nitrogenous bases are found in RNA?
    Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, and Uracil.
  • What type of bond links the pentose sugar and phosphate group in nucleic acids?
    Phosphodiester bonds link the pentose sugar and phosphate group.
  • In which direction is the nucleic acid strand always read?
    From the 5' end to the 3' end.
  • Where are the nitrogenous bases attached in the nucleotide structure?
    Bases protrude from the backbone and are bonded to the 1' carbon of the sugar.
  • How many strands make up the DNA double helix?
    DNA consists of 2 strands forming a double helix.
  • What does it mean that DNA strands are complementary?
    Bases pair specifically: A-T with double hydrogen bonds and G-C with triple hydrogen bonds.
  • What does antiparallel mean in the context of DNA strands?
    The two DNA strands run in opposite directions: one 5' to 3', the other 3' to 5'.
  • Which nitrogenous base replaces thymine in RNA?
    Uracil replaces thymine in RNA.