![]() Because genes are thousands of nucleotides long, there is an endless number of sequences that can be generated, all encoding different amino acid sequences and carrying out different functions in the cell.To create the DNA/RNA polymer, the nucleotide monomers must link together, forming a strin of nucleotides. The sequence of these nucleotides (A, T/U, C or G) along the polymer of DNA or RNA determines the meaning of the instructions held within. The sugar occupies a central position, with the nitrogenous base attached to its first carbon (1′) and the phosphate group attached to its fifth carbon (5′) The sugar of RNA is called ribose (hence ribonucleic acid), an unmodified version of this sugar. The sugar in DNA is called deoxyribose (the clue is in the name, deoxyribonucleic acid). The nitrogenous base is the part of the nucleotide that dictates the specificity of the sequence. They are small molecules composed of 3 subunits: a nitrogenous base, a five carbon sugar and a phosphate group. Nucleotides are therefore the building blocks of a nucleic acid. Nucleic acids are long chains (polymers) created by the joining of monomers, which are the nucleotides. The key differences are in the sugar in their sugar phosphate backbone, the RNA-specific substitution of the nucleotide Thymine with Uracil, and the fact that RNA is usually single stranded, whereas DNA molecules are double stranded. However, they do have some stark differences, allowing them to perform distinct functions within the cell. DNA and RNA similar, and both store and transmit critical information. Nucleic acid is a term covering both DNA and RNA molecules, the key macromolecules for the coninuation of life. Various types of RNA exist which have roles in protein synthesis as well as regulation of cellular programmes by fine-tuning gene expression.The nucleotides of DNA can pair together by base pairing, creating a strand that is complementary to its pair.DNA is double stranded, whereas RNA is single stranded. They consist of a strand of nucleotides with a phosphate group, a 5′ sugar and a nitrogenous base.DNA and RNA are both examples of nucleic acids.How double strands are held together in a molecule of DNA?.What are the two major types of nucleic acids?.The table below summarises the differences between DNA and RNA. ![]()
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