Biochemistry

FIRST YEAR - FINAL TERM MRS. CECILIA VILLANUEVA 11/2021 - 01/2022

Digestion, Absorption, Metabolism
DNA FACTS
• DNA from a single human cell extends in a single
• thread for almost 2 meters long!!! X-ray diffraction • In 1953, based on X-ray
• It contains information equal to some 600,000 Rosalind Franklin diffraction taken by Rosalind
printed pages of 500 words each!!! (a library of and the information that the
about 1,000 books) bases were paired, Watson
and Crick suggested what is
now accepted as the first
A HISTORY OF DNA
accurate model of DNA
• The first isolation of what we now refer to as DNA
structure in the journal.
was accomplished by Johann Friedrich Miescher circa
Experimental evidence for
1870.
Watson and Crick's model
• He reported finding a weakly acidic substance of
were published in a series of
unknown function in the nuclei of human white
five articles in the same issue
blood cells, and named this material "nuclein". A few
of Nature Of these
years later, Miescher separated nuclein into protein
Wilkins & Franklin • Franklin’s paper was the first
and nucleic acid components.
(1952): X-ray publication of X-ray
• In the 1920's nucleic acids were found to be major
crystallography diffraction data that
components of chromosomes, small gene-carrying
supported the Watson and
bodies in the nuclei of complex cells.
Crick model, this issue also
• Elemental analysis of nucleic acids showed the
contained an article on DNA
presence of phosphorus, in addition to the usual C,
structure by Maurice Wilkins
H, N & O. Unlike proteins, nucleic acids contained no
and his colleagues.
sulfur.
• In 1962, after Franklin's
• Complete hydrolysis of chromosomal nucleic acids
death, Watson, Crick, and
gave inorganic phosphate, 2-deoxyribose and four
Wilkins jointly received the
different heterocyclic bases.
Nobel prize. However,
• To reflect the unusual sugar component,
speculation continues on who
chromosomal nucleic acids are called
should have received credit
deoxyribonucleic acids, abbreviated DNA.
for the discovery, as it was
Analogous nucleic acids in which the sugar
based on Franklin's data.
component is ribose are termed ribonucleic acids,
abbreviated RNA. The acidic character of the nucleic
DNA • Structure discovered by
acids was attributed to the phosphoric acid moiety.
Watson & Crick in 1953
• Sides made of pentose (5-
sided) sugars attached to
Discovery of the DNA double helix phosphate groups by
Frederick Griffith • Discovers that a factor in phosphodiester bonds
diseased bacteria can • Pentose sugar called
transform harmless Deoxyribose
bacteria into deadly The Double Helix
bacteria (1928) (1953)

Rosalind Franklin • X-ray photo of DNA.

(1952)

THE NUCLEIC ACIDS

Watson and Crick • Described the DNA • The 4th type of macromolecules
molecule from Franklin’s • The chemical link between generations
X-ray. (1953) • The source of genetic information in chromosomes

Genetic material of cells

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 Biochemistry
FIRST YEAR - FINAL TERM MRS. CECILIA VILLANUEVA 11/2021 - 01/2022
Digestion, Absorption, Metabolism

• GENES – units of genetic material that CODES FOR A

SPECIFIC TRAIT
• Called NUCLEIC ACIDS
• DNA is made up of repeating molecules called
NUCLEOTIDES
• Dictates amino-acid sequence in proteins
• Gives information to chromosomes, which is then
passed from parent to offspring

NUCLEIC ACID STRUCTURE

• Nucleic acids are polynucleotides
• Their building blocks are nucleotides
Nucleotides
Components of Nucleic Acids 1. Phosphate Group

2. SUGAR--Ribose is a pentose

NUCLEOTIDE STRUCTURE

DNA Nucleotide

Nucleotides

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 Biochemistry
FIRST YEAR - FINAL TERM MRS. CECILIA VILLANUEVA 11/2021 - 01/2022
Digestion, Absorption, Metabolism

• Their amounts in a given DNA molecule will be

about the same.

Purines & Pyrimidines

THE SUGAR-PHOSPHATE BACKBONE

The nucleotides are all orientated in the same direction
The phosphate group joins the 3rd Carbon of one sugar to
Carbon of the next in line.

3. NITROGENOUS BASES
• The bases are attached to the 1st Carbon
• Their order is important It determines the genetic
information of the molecule

Nitrogen-Containing Bases

• PURINES
1. Adenine (A)
Watson & Crick Base pairing
2. Guanine (G)
• PYRIMIDINES
1. Thymine (T)
2. Cytosine (C)
Watson & Crick proposed
• DNA had specific pairing between the nitrogen
bases:
ADENINE – THYMINE CYTOSINE - GUANINE
• DNA was made of 2 long stands of nucleotides
arranged in a specific way called the
“Complementary Rule”
Chargaff’s Rule
• Adenine must pair with Thymine
• Guanine must pair with Cytosine

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 Biochemistry
FIRST YEAR - FINAL TERM MRS. CECILIA VILLANUEVA 11/2021 - 01/2022
Digestion, Absorption, Metabolism

BASE-PAIRINGS

Two types of Nucleic Acid

• Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
• Ribonucleic acid (RNA)

DNA is organized into chromosomes, which are found

within the nuclei of cells.
DNA is wrapped tightly around histones and coiled tightly
to form chromosomes

The Code of Life

Complementary Base Pairs
The “code” of the chromosome is the
• Two H bonds for A-T
SPECIFIC ORDER that bases occur.
• Three H bonds for G-C
A T C G T A T G C G G…
The genetic code is determined by the order of bases in
the gene, which specifies what type of protein will be
produced
GENE is a segment of DNA on a chromosome that codes
for a specific protein and thus determines a trait.

(1961) Watson & Crick proposed

THE BOND Structure • DNA controlled cell function by serving as a
3,5-phosphodiester bond template for PROTEIN structure.
• 3 Nucleotides = a triplet or CODON (which code for
a specific AMINO ACID)
• AMINO ACIDS are the building blocks of proteins.
• Different arrangements of NUCLEOTIDES in a
nucleic acid (DNA) provides the key to diversity
among living organisms.

Genetic Diversity
DIVERSITY refers to the existence of variations of different
characteristics, the condition of being composed of
differing elements, that each individual is unique and has
individual differences.

DNA
• Contains the instructions for making proteins from
20 different amino acids
• Appears as chromatin when cell not dividing
DNA IS MADE OF TWO STRANDS OF POLYNUCLEOTIDE
• The sister strands of the DNA molecule run in opposite
directions (antiparallel)

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 Biochemistry
FIRST YEAR - FINAL TERM MRS. CECILIA VILLANUEVA 11/2021 - 01/2022
Digestion, Absorption, Metabolism

• They are joined by the bases

• Each base is paired with a specific partner:
 A is always paired with T
 G is always paired with C Purine with
Pyrimidine
• This sister strands are complementary but not
identical
• The bases are joined by hydrogen bonds, individually
weak but collectively strong.

DNA Double Helix

Deoxyribonucleic acid is a coiled double helix carrying
DNA
hereditary information of the cell
• Base pairing means a purine bonds to a
pyrimidine
(Example: A --- T and C --- G)
• Coiled, double stranded molecule known as
double helix
• Make up chromosomes in the
nucleus
• Subunits of DNA called nucleotides
• Nucleotides contain a phosphate, a
Deoxyribose sugar, and one nitrogen base (A,
T, C, or G)

DNA IS MADE OF TWO STRANDS OF POLYNUCLEOTIDE

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 Biochemistry
FIRST YEAR - FINAL TERM MRS. CECILIA VILLANUEVA 11/2021 - 01/2022
Digestion, Absorption, Metabolism

• Free nucleotides also exist in nucleus

• Most DNA is coiled or twisted to the right
• Left twisted DNA is called
southpaw or Z-DNA
• Hot spots which can result in mutations occur
where right & left twisted DNA meet