Cell Structure

Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes

Prokaryotes Eukaryotes

Generally 1-10μm in linear

Cell size Generally 5-100μm in linear dimension
dimension

Metabolism Anaerobic or aerobic Aerobic

Nucleus, mitochondrion, chloroplast, ER,

Organelles Few or none
etc.

long linear DNA with many noncoding

DNA circular DNA in cytoplasm
regions, bound by a nuclear envelope

RNA and protein synthesized in same RNA processed and synthesized in

RNA and protein
compartment
no cytoskeleton; cytoplasmic
Cytoplasm streaming, endocytosis and
exocytosis all absent
chromosomes pulled apart by
Cell division
attachments to plasma membrane
Cellular organization mainly unicellular
nucleus; protein in cytoplasm
cytoskeleton composed of protein
filaments, cytoplasmic streaming,
endocytosis and exocytosis all absent
chromosomes pulled apart by
cytoskeletal spindle apparatus
mostly multicellular, with differentiation
 (A) Some bacteria drawn to scale. (B) Escherichia
coli; DNA is concentrated in the palely stained region
The Nucleus
 Nucleic Acids
• Polymers composed of monomer units
known as nucleotides
• Information storage
– DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
• Protein synthesis
– RNA (ribonucleic acid)
• Energy transfers
– ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) and NAD
(nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide)
 Nucleic Acids
• DNA – Physical carrier of genetic
information
– Restricted to nucleus
• RNA – key component of protein synthesis
– Messenger RNA (mRNA) – blueprint for
construction of a protein
– Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) – construction site
where the protein is made
– Transfer RNA (tRNA) – truck delivering the
proper AA to the site of construction
 Nucleotide component
• Phosphate
• Nitrogenous base
– Purines (double-rings)
• Adenine and Guanine
– Pyrimidines (single-rings)
• Cytosine, Thymine, and Uracil
• Sugar – either ribose or deoxyribose
– pentoses in ring form
– Deoxyribose lacks one oxygen
Nitrogen Bases
Nitrogen Bases
3 hydrogen bonds
between G and C

2 hydrogen bonds
between A and T
Sugar
 Nucleoside & Nucleotide
• Sugar and
nitrogenous base –
nucleoside

• Phosphate, sugar,
and base -
nucleotide
 5' end –
Phosphate group is attached
to the 5′-carbon atom

3' end

3' end –
free OH group attached to
the 3′-carbon atom
5' end
 Comparison between DNA and
RNA

DNA RNA
Sugar Deoxyribose Ribose
Bases Adenine, thymine, Adenine, uracil,
cytosine, guanine cytosine, guanine
Strands Double-stranded with Single-stranded
base pairing (5' → 3')
(antiparallel – the
strands proceed in
different directions
Helix Yes No
• The nucleotide sequence of a gene
determines the amino acid sequence of a
protein
– For example, the start codon of an mRNA
sequence is AUG, which always codes for
methionine
– UCU codes for serine, and GCU for alanine

• During transcription, portions of DNA are

copied into RNA
RNA
 Special
Structures

Secondary
structure
The genetic code
The transfer of information from DNA to protein
-ENDS-