DNA RNA Structure and Function - Part 1

Nucleic Acids
•Nucleic acids are a group of biomolecules

that carry genetic information.
•They are present in the cell nucleus and
cytoplasm.
•Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) occurs in the
cell nucleus and has a molar mass of 106 to
109 g/mol.
•Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is found in the
cytoplasm and has a molar mass of 25,000 to
106 g/mol.
17-1
Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission required for reproduction or display.
Structure of Nucleic Acids
• Nucleic acids
• are biological polymers
• Nucleic acids are polynucleotides
• Their building blocks are nucleotides
• consist of bonded monomer units
called nucleotides
• A nucleotide is made up of
• a “sugar”
• a phosphate group
• a nitrogen-containing base Figure 17.16A
17-2
Two Types Sugars in Nucleic Acids
•The two types of

nucleic acids differ in
the sugar present in
the monomer unit
•ribose in ribonucleic
acid
•deoxyribose in
deoxyribonucleic acid
Figure 17.17
17-3
Nitrogen Containing Bases in Nucleic Acids
•There are five nitrogen-containing, organic bases
in DNA and RNA.
Figure 17.18
•DNA contains A, G, C, and T.

•RNA contains A, G, C, and U.
17-4
• There are 4 kinds of nitrogenous
bases in DNA
▪ The PURINES (larger, double rings)
1. A = Adenine
2. G = Guanine
▪ The PYRIMIDINES (smaller, single rings)
1. C = Cytosine
2. T = Thymine
17-5
Activity Solution: Nucleotides
• Identify the sugar and the base in

this nucleotide. Is this
nucleotide a segment of DNA or
of RNA?
• The lower right group on the 5-
membered ring has an –OH
group, so the sugar is ribose.
The base corresponds to uracil.
Both the sugar and the base are Figure from Example 17.5
found in RNA.
17-6
Processes Involving DNA and RNA
•Replication
• Occurs in the nucleus
• A process that copies DNA to make new DNA molecules
during cell division
• Assures new cell has same genetic information
•Transcription
• Also occurs in the nucleus
• A process of synthesizing various types of RNA using
DNA as a template
• Synthesized RNA is transported out of the cell nucleus to
the cytoplasm
•Translation
• Occurs in the cytoplasm
• A process using RNA to synthesize protein molecules
from amino acids
17-7
DNA and Replication
• DNA carries the genetic information in
the cell.
• DNA is what makes everyone unique.
• DNA consists of two interwoven helical
strands in which the bases point toward
the center of the helix.
• The sugar and phosphate units form the
backbone of the helix.
• The two strands are held together by
hydrogen bonds between the bases.
Figure 17.20
17-8
DNA is a DOUBLE HELIX
X-ray experiments by Rosalind Franklin
led James Watson and Francis Crick to
the
discovery of the structure of DNA in
1953
17-9

Base Pairing in DNA
•The bases pair up in very specific ways,

adenine with thymine (A–T) and cytosine
with guanine (C–G).
17-10
DNA Replication
•New strands grow on

a partially unwound
double helix.
•The order of the
bases on the
unwound strands
determines the order
on growing strands. Figure 17.22
•The only allowed

pairings are C-G and
A-T.
17-11
Activity: Base Sequence in DNA
•A portion of one strand in a DNA

molecule has the following sequence of
bases:
AATAGCAGGCTTA
•Identify the sequence of bases in the
other strand of the DNA molecule that
would hydrogen-bond to these bases.
17-12
Activity Solution: Base Sequence in
DNA
• A portion of one strand in a DNA molecule has the
following sequence of bases:
AATAGCAGGCTTA
• Identify the sequence of bases in the other strand
of the DNA molecule that would hydrogen-bond to
these bases.
• The base A will pair with T and C will pair with G.
The sequence of bases is
TTATCGTCCGAAT
17-13
Genes
• Are made up of DNA molecules.
• Specify the kinds of proteins that are made in
cells.
• Proteins are formed from 20 different amino
acids.
• The information that determines the order of
the amino acids is stored as a sequence of bases
on DNA.
• DNA is not directly involved in protein synthesis
but RNA is.
17-14
RNA, Transcription, and
Translation
•The information stored in DNA for protein
synthesis has to be transferred from DNA in
the nucleus to the site in the cytoplasm
where the protein will be synthesized.
•Messenger RNA (mRNA) carries the DNA
code to ribosomes, the sites in the cytoplasm
of protein synthesis.
17-15
Transcription
•As in replication, DNA transcription to make

mRNA involves unraveling the double helix.
•Exposed bases on a strand of DNA serve as the
template for transcription.
•Bases are complementary, but in mRNA uracil
replaces thymine.
17-16
Activity Solution: Base Sequence in
DNA
•A portion of one strand in a DNA molecule has
the following sequence of bases:
TTAACGCGATA
•What is the corresponding base sequence in
mRNA transcribed from this portion of DNA?
•The base sequence on mRNA is:

AAUUGCGCUAU
17-17
Codon
•A codon is a sequence of three bases on

mRNA that serves as a code for a
particular amino acid for protein synthesis.
Figure
17.24
17-18
17-19
Transfer RNA
• Another form of RNA, transfer RNA (tRNA), carries the

appropriate amino acid to the site of protein synthesis.
• tRNA can be represented in different ways:
Figure
17.25
17-20
3 types of RNA
1. Messenger RNA (mRNA)- copies

information from DNA for protein
synthesis
Codon- 3 base pairs that

code for a single amino
acid.
17-21
. 2. Transfer RNA (tRNA)- collects amino acids for
protein synthesis
Anticodon-a sequence of 3 bases that are

complementary base pairs to a codon in the
mRNA
•3. Ribosomal RNA (rRNA)- combines

with proteins to form ribosomes
17-22
Activity Solution: Amino Acid Sequence
• A segment near the beginning of a strand of mRNA has
the following base sequence:
AUGUUAUAUUGCUUAACUGUUGCCUAUACU
The polypeptide formed by the first eight steps of protein
synthesis has the sequence Met-Leu-Tyr-Cys-Leu-Thr-Val-
Ala. What are the next two amino acids added?
• The codons consist of three bases, so we divide the
sequence into sets of three:
AUG UUA UAU UGC UUA ACU GUU GCC UAU ACU
• The ninth and tenth codons are the same as the third and
sixth, respectively. These correspond to Tyr and Thr.
17-23

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Nucleic Acids

•Nucleic acids are a group of biomolecules

•The two types of

•DNA contains A, G, C, and T.

• Identify the sugar and the base in

Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission required for reproduction or display.

•The bases pair up in very specific ways,

•New strands grow on

•The only allowed

•A portion of one strand in a DNA

•As in replication, DNA transcription to make

•The base sequence on mRNA is:

•A codon is a sequence of three bases on

• Another form of RNA, transfer RNA (tRNA), carries the

1. Messenger RNA (mRNA)- copies

Codon- 3 base pairs that

Anticodon-a sequence of 3 bases that are

•3. Ribosomal RNA (rRNA)- combines

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