Nucleic acids

These are the main information-carrying molecules of the cell,

and, by directing the process of protein synthesis
• Present in all living organisms, whether plants, animals or
viruses
• Fredrich Mieshier first isolated from the nuclei of pus cells
(WBC) and named them as nuclein
•Altmann (1899) used the term nucleic acid to replace nuclein.
•There are two types
•1. DNA : Deoxyribose nucleic acid
•2. RNA : Ribose nucleic acid
• DNA:
• Found in the nucleus as part of chromosome
• Also found in cell organelles like Mitochondria and chloroplast
• DNA is the hereditary material
• DNA forms RAN through transcription process
• DNA is the genetic material in plants, animals and some viruses
• RNA is found in nucleolus and in cytoplasm
• RNA produce proteins through translation process
• RNA is the genetic material in some viruses (TMV)
• CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF NUCLEIC ACIDS
• nucleic acids are composed of C,H,O,N and P.
• Nucleotides are the building blocks of nucleic acids and are the
structural units of nucleic acids
• Nucleic acids are made up of monomeric units called nucleotides
• Nucleic acids are the polynucleotides.

• Nucleotide: composed of
• 1. Nitrogen bases 2. Pentose sugar 3. Phosphoric acid
• Nitrogen bases: organic compounds with nitrogen in them.
• A) Purines: Two - ringed nitrogen compounds
• B) Pyrimidines: Single ringed nitrogen compounds
 Purines Pyrimidines
DNA:

Purines Pyrimidines
RNA:

DNA: Purines: Adenine(A) Guanine(G) Pyrimidines: Cytosine (C) and Thymine (T)
RNA: Purines: Adenine(A) Guanine(G) Pyrimidines: Cytosine (C) and Uracil (U)
• BASE PAIRING
• In DNA: It follows Chargaff’s Rule
• Adenine pairs with Thymine with two hydrogen bonds ( A=T )
• Guanine pairs with Cytosine with three hydrogen bonds ( G=C
_ )
• No. of purines equals to no. of Pyrimidines

In RNA: Do not follow Chargaff's rule

• Adenine pairs with Uracil with two hydrogen bonds ( A=U )
• Guanine pairs with Cytosine with three hydrogen bonds ( G=C )
• Sugar: The sugar is pentose with five carbon atoms

• In RNA it is Ribose sugar In DNA it is 2-Deoxyribose sugar

( Absence of one oxygen atom on
the 2nd position carbon)

• Phosphoric Acid (H3Po4 )

• Nucleosides:
• A combination of a nitrogenous base and a sugar molecule by Glycosidic Bond
• Nitrogen base + Sugar = Nucleoside
• Nucleosides of DNA
• Adenine + Deoxyribose sugar = Deoxyadenosine
• Guanine + Deoxyribose sugar = Deoxyguanosine
• Cytosine + Deoxyribose sugar = Deoxycytidine
• Thymine + Deoxyribose sugar = DeoxyThymidine
• Nucleosides of RNA
• Adenine + Ribose sugar = Adenosine
• Guanine + Ribose sugar = Guanosine
• Cytosine + Ribose sugar = Cytidine
• Uracil + Ribose sugar = Uridine
• Nucleotides: Nitrogen base + phosphate + sugar = nucleotide
• Nucleotides of DNA
• Adenine + Deoxyribose sugar + Phosphate = Deoxyadenylate
• Guanine + Deoxyribose sugar + Phosphate = Deoxyguanylate
• Cytosine + Deoxyribose sugar + Phosphate = Deoxycytidylate
• Thymine + Deoxyribose sugar + Phosphate = DeoxyThymidylate

• Nucleosides of RNA
• Adenine + Ribose sugar + Phosphate = Adenylate
• Guanine + Ribose sugar + Phosphate = Guanylate
• Cytosine + Ribose sugar + Phosphate = Cytidylate
• Uracil + Ribose sugar + Phosphate = Uridylate
Bonds:
• Bond B/T two nitrogen bases is Hydrogen bond
• Bond B/T Nitrogen base and sugar molecule is Glycosidic bond
• Bond between phosphate group and sugar molecule is Phospho ester Bond
• The bond B/T phosphate group with two sugar molecules is Phospho Diester bond