Nucleic Acids

• In all living cells DNA holds genetic information and RNA transfers genetic information from DNA to the ribosomes.
• Ribosomes are formed from RNA and proteins.
• Both DNA and RNA are polymers of nucleotides. Each nucleotide is formed from a pentose, a nitrogen-containing organic base and a phosphate group.
• The components of a DNA. nucleotide are deoxyribose, a phosphate group and one of the organic bases adenine, cytosine, guanine or thymine.
• The components of a RNA. nucleotide are deoxyribose, a phosphate group and one of the organic bases adenine, cytosine, guanine or uracil.
• A condensation reaction between two nucleotides forms a phosphodiester bond.
• A DNA molecule is a double helix with two polynucleotides chains held together by hydrogen bonds between specific complementary base pairs.
• An RNA molecule is a relatively short polynucleotide chain.
• The semi conservative replication is when both strands of the existing DNA act as templates for the new DNA to be created from the double helix must be unzipped. DNA helicase breaks apart hydrogen bonds during this. Bases on these free nucleotides pair up with the complementary base of the old strand. DNA polymerse is used to link the nucleotides & template strand together.