Molecular Basis of

Inheritence
Devi.D
Nucleic Acids

Building Blocks of Genetic material.

2 Types of nucleic acids.
I. DNA
II. RNA
Nucleic acid has 3 components:- Pentose sugar,
Nitrogenous base and Phosphate.
Pentose sugar of DNA is Deoxyribose and RNA is
Ribose.
 Nigreogenous Base includes Purines and
Pyramidines
 Purines
of DNA and RNA are same ie Adenine and
Guanine.
 Pyramidine of DNA are Cytosine and Thymine. RNA
are Cytosine and Uracil.
 Pentose sugar +Nitrogenous base->Nucleoside.
 Nucleoside +Phosphate-> Nucleotides.
 Nucleic acid is the polymers of nucleotides.
DNA
 Long polymer of deoxyribonucleotide.
 Lengthof DNA is defined as the no. of nucleotide
or base pairs present in it.
 Theno of base pairs is the characteristics of every
organisms eg: Φx174 phage-5386 base pairs.
λ phage-48502 base pairs.
 Escherichia coli: 4.6 *106
 Human: 3.3*109 (haploid number)
 DNA- Fredrich Meischer
 1953James Watson and Francis Crick, based on
X-ray defraction data produced by Maurice Wilkins
and Rosalind Franklin, proposed double helix
model for the structure of DNA.
 Basepairing between the 2 strands of nucleotide
chains was based on the observation of Erwin
Chargaff.
RNA
 Chemical composition: Contained the sugar
ribose,
 Purines:- Adenine and Guanine
 Pyramidine:- Cytosine and Uracil
 Phosphate group
 First genetic material, monohelical
 2‘–OH group of nucleotide is a reactive group
that maked RNA a catalyst
 There are 3 types of RNA

mRNA: brings genetic information of DNA for

protein synthesis

rRNA: It forms the structure of ribosomes

tRNA/ sRNA: smallest RNA. It carry activated

aminoacides to the site of protein synthesis
tRNA
Difference between DNA and RNA

DNA RNA
 Double helical  Monohelical
 Deoxyribose sugar  Ribose sugar
 Pyramidine:  Cytosine and Uracil
Cytosine and
Thymine.
Questions:
How nucleoside is formed?
If adenine is 20%, what is the percentage of Guanine?
How is the length of DNA calculated?
What is the diameter of DNA?
Name the first genetic material?
Why RNA is in a reactive group?
What is the function of tRNA?
Who proposed double helical model of DNA?
What is nucleotide?
Name the smallest RNA?
Thank You