Nucleic Acids

DNA & RNA

 What do they do ?
Dictate amino-acid
sequence in proteins
Give information to
chromosomes, which is then
passed from parent to
offspring
 What are they ?

The 4th type of

macromolecules
The chemical link between
generations
The source of genetic
information in chromosomes
 The nucleus contains the cell’s DNA (genome)
RNA is synthesized in the nucleus and exported
to the cytoplasm
Nucleus
Cytoplasm replication

DNA
transcription

RNA (mRNA)

translation

Proteins
 Two types of Nucleotides
(depending on the sugar they contain)

1- Ribonucleic acids (RNA)

The pentose sugar is Ribose
2- Deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA)
The pentose sugar is
Deoxyribose
What is DNA?
 So, what is DNA?
• DNA is a nucleic acid
• DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic Acid
• DNA – is the genetic material inside the
nucleus of
eukaryotic cells.

IT ACTUALLY WINDS UP
REALLY TIGHTLY AND FITS
INTO CHROMOSOMES!!!
It is made of
DNA!
 Deoxyribonucleic Acid

Segment of DNA

NUCLEUS CHROMOSOMES GENES SEGMENTS

OF DNA
Which cell organelle is DNA found
in (for eukaryotes)?
THE NUCLEUS!

Do prokaryotes even have DNA??? OF COURSE! But,

it is not protected
by a nucleus!
Discovering the Structure of DNA
Structure was discovered in 1953 by James
Watson and Francis Crick
They were only able to
complete the model
after x rays taken of
DNA through a
microscope by a
woman named
Rosalind Franklin
revealed the key to
determining the true
shape….she was
never officially credited
with the discovery 

Watch this!:
DNA ANIMATION!
 The Components of DNA
• DNA is a long molecule made up
of repeating individual units of
monomers called nucleotides.
– Nucleotides are made up of three
parts that are held together by
covalent bonds:
1. Sugar Phosphate
2. Phosphate Group
3. Nitrogenous Base

DeoxyriboseS Nitrogenous
ugar Base
In the diagram, what substance
is represented by the letter x?

A. Ribose sugar
B. Deoxyribose sugar
C. Phosphate
D. Adenine
 Nitrogenous Bases
• DNA contains four nitrogenous bases:
1. Adenine (A)
2. Guanine (G)
3. Cytosine (C)
4. Thymine (T)
 In DNA, Which Bases Pair?
• Adenine (A) always pairs
with Thymine (T)
• Guanine (G) always pairs
with Cytosine (C) Covalent
bonds

Watch this!:
COMPOSITION OF DNA
In your notes, write in the base pairs for the following:
Base Pair Rule
One side: A T A T C A T G C G G G
Other side: T A T A G T A C G C C C
These bases are held together by
hydrogen bonds
 What are Hydrogen Bonds?
Hydrogen bonds are weak and
they combine the two DNA strands.

It is important
that these
middle bonds
are weak! Why
do you think???
Structure of DNA
• Phosphate Group &
Deoxyribose Sugar
– Form the backbone or
sides of the ladder.
• Nitrogenous Bases
– Form the “steps” of the
ladder or middle of the
molecule.
X makes up the backbone along
with which other molecule?

A. Ribose sugar
B. Deoxyribose sugar
C. Base-pairs
D. Adenine
• DNA is a
DOUBLE
HELIX or a
twisted ladder.
Pictures Of The Double Helix
 THE INSTRUCTIONS
ARE IN THE SEQUENCE
OF NUCLEOTIDES.
 Review of DNA
 What is the general  What is each nucleotide
structure of DNA? made of?
◦ Double Helix ◦ Sugar (Deoxyribose)
 What composes the ◦ Phosphate
DNA “backbone” or side ◦ Nitrogen Base
pieces?  What are the bases?
◦ Deoxyribose (sugar) ◦ Adanine, Thyamine,
& Phosphate Cytosine, Guanine
 What is the name of the  What bases pair with
3-part unit of DNA each other?
called? ◦ A+T
◦ Nucleotide ◦ C+G
 What is a Codon?
◦ A group of 3 bases (codes
for an amino acid)
The components that make
up the genetic code are
common to all organisms!
 A T C G
If we all have the
same components
G C of DNA, why do A T
we look different
from other people
A T and from other G C
organisms like
horses or plants?
C G T A

DNA of a horse DNA of a human

What is the difference?
The difference is in the order of the bases.

The more alike two organisms are, the more alike their order of
bases will be.

Information for everything about an organism is carried in the order

of bases in their DNA, like a language.
DNA base pairs  genes  proteins  traits

This sequence of base pairs

is what determines our traits
 RNA Nucleotides
Composition ( 3 parts):
1- Ribose sugar (with O in 3rd carbon)
2- Phosphate group
3- One of 4 types of bases (all
containing nitrogen):
- Adenine
- Uracyl (only in RNA)
- Cytosine
- Guanine
 Ribonucleic Acid (RNA)
• RNA is much more abundant than DNA
• There are several important differences between RNA and
DNA:
- the pentose sugar in RNA is ribose, in DNA it’s
deoxyribose
- in RNA, uracil replaces the base thymine (U pairs with A)
- RNA is single stranded while DNA is double stranded
- RNA molecules are much smaller than DNA molecules
• There are three main types of RNA:
- ribosomal (rRNA), messenger (mRNA) and transfer
(tRNA)
Types of RNA
What is the purpose, or function, of
DNA?
• Stores the genetic information that instructs
the cell on which proteins to make.
• So, DNA makes PROTEINS
(both are biomolecules!)
• Responsible for determining all organism’s
traits such as eye color, body structure, and
enzyme production.
Proteins are
responsible for
most of these
traits!