BIOMOLECULES: NUCLEIC ACIDS

Introduction to Bioinorganic Chemistry

Esperanza Galarza
2019
  Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) and Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) are the units of hereditary
information storage.

The DNA is responsible The RNA helps to transfer

for making the protein the information from the
in the cell. DNA to the protein.
Nucleobases of DNA Nucleobases of RNA

PYRIMIDINES

PURINES
NUCLEOBASES PAIRING
H bonds

Pairing between A-T, and G-C

Nucleoside = base + sugar

Nucleotide = base + sugar +
phosphate group
 WATSON-CRICK MODEL
 Cells contain 2 branches of DNA that are exact images of each other
 A pairs with T and G with C. Because these branches are identical, the amount of A is equal
to the amount of T in the double branches of DNA.

 They are held together by hydrogen bonds between the bases

 In solution they are found that these two branches form

the double helix.

 The DNA molecule can contain millions of paired bases

depending on the size of the organism.

 DNA molecules isolated from different tissues of the same species have the same
nucleotide ratios, but molecules of different species can have different ratios.
 INTERACTION WITH METALS
Pt: SOFT-SOFT

HARD BASE
 ATP: ADENOSIN TRIPHOSPHATE

High energy bonds

INTERACTION WITH METALS