2.

6 Structure of DNA and RNA

Essential Idea: The structure of DNA allows efficient storage of genetic
information.
(Nature of Science: Using models as representation of the real world Crick and Watson
used model making to discover the structure of DNA.)
Structure of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid)
-

nucleic acids are polymers composed of monomers known as nucleotides

main functions of nucleotides information storage (DNA), protein synthesis (RNA),
energy transfers (ATP & NAD)
nucleotides consist of:
- a sugar (ribose for RNA and deoxyribose for DNA)
- a nitrogenous base two types purines adenine & guanine
(double ring)
- pyrimidines cytosine, thymine & uracil (one
ring)
- a phosphate (PO4 3-)

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid): - physical carrier of inheritance for 99% of living

organisms
- basic structure of nucleotide in DNA:
- 4 bases present in DNA:
- cytosine, guanine, adenine, thymine

- basic structure of DNA:

- polynucleotide (polymer) formed when many of these nucleotides joined together
- covalent bond formed between carbon on sugar of one nucleotide and phosphate
group of another
nucleotide
- phosphate group forms a bridge between C3 of one sugar and C5 of another
- bonding pattern forms sugar phosphate backbone for the polynucleotide chain
with bases facing
same direction (into centre)
- has direction unbonded sugar end is known as 5
- free sugar end available for bonding is 3
- in order to form double helix, hydrogen bonds form between complementary base
pairs:

- adenine always bonds with thymine (& vice versa) forms 2 hydrogen
bonds (A=T)
- cytosine always bonds to guanine forms 3 hydrogen bonds (CG)

- diagram above is not helical in shape, but shows bonding between bases in centre of
molecule
- 2 strands (chains) of nucleotides run anti-parallel one strand goes in one direction
(3 to 5)
- other runs in opposite direction (5 to 3)
- helical structure of DNA discovered by Watson & Crick (1953) based their work on
findings of others
- won Nobel prize for their discovery
- helix held together by H bonding between bases in centre about 2 nm apart
form rungs of ladder

- basic structure of RNA:

- uses ribose sugar
- 4 bases cytosine, guanine, adenine and uracil
- single polypeptide chain