6.1 DNA and RNA Structure

• DNA and RNA are the primary sources of hereditary material
• Genetic information is stored in a sequence of bases in DNA or RNA, allowing transmission of genetic information from one generation to the next
• DNA is packaged into chromosomes and passed to daughter cells
• RNA molecules exhibit specific nucleotide base pairs
• DNA and RNA are structurally similar polymers containing nucleotides arranged in chain-like molecules
• Base pairing in DNA: adenine pairs with thymine, cytosine pairs with guanine
• Base pairing in RNA: uracil pairs with adenine, cytosine pairs with guanine
• Base pairing rules are conserved through evolution and are specific for all organisms
• Prokaryotes have circular chromosomes, while eukaryotes have multiple linear chromosomes
• Prokaryotic genomes are typically smaller than eukaryotic genomes
• Both prokaryotes and eukaryotes contain plasmids, which are small circular extra chromosome double-stranded DNA molecules
• Prokaryotic plasmids are found in the cytosol, while eukaryotic plasmids can be found elsewhere