Nucleic Acids

Question 1

Besides storing genetic information, what are some other functions of nucleotides?

Answer 1

Carry genetic information
Structural components of tRNA, ribosomes, spliceosomes, etc.
Energy metabolism
Cellular signaling

Question 2

What are ribosomes?

Answer 2

Catalysts for transcribing mRNA into protein

Question 3

What is DNA a polymer of? RNA?

Answer 3

DNA is a polymer of deoxyribonucleotides.
RNA is a polymer of ribonucleotides.

Question 4

Give the general formula of a nucleotide.

Answer 4

phosphate + pentose sugar + nitrogenous base

Question 5

What are the 2 pentose sugars that can be in a nucleotide?

Answer 5

Ribose and deoxyribose.

Question 6

List the five different nitrogen-containing bases.

Answer 6

Adenine (A)
Guanine (G)
Thymine (T) or Uracil (U)
Cytosine (C)

Question 7

What is the maximum number of phosphates that can be present in a phosphate group?

Answer 7

3

Question 8

What types of bonds hold the phosphates together in the phosphate groups of nucleotides?

Answer 8

phosphoanhydride bonds

Question 9

Provide the general equation for a nucleoside.

Answer 9

sugar + base

Question 10

Differentiate between pyrimidines and purines.

Answer 10

Pyrimidines have a single ring, purines have a double ring.

Question 11

List the pyrimidines.

Answer 11

Thymine, Cytosine and Uracil

Question 12

List the purines.

Answer 12

Adenine and Guanine

Question 13

Which base is this an image of?

Answer 13

Adenine (A)

Question 14

Which base is this an image of?

Answer 14

Guanine (G)

Question 15

Which base is this?

Answer 15

Cytosine (C)

Question 16

Which base is this?

Answer 16

Thymine (T)

Question 17

Which base is this?

Answer 17

Uracil (U)

Question 18

Draw uracil.

Answer 18

Question 19

Draw thymine.

Answer 19

Question 20

Draw guanine.

Answer 20

Question 21

Draw cytosine.

Answer 21

Question 22

Draw adenine.

Answer 22

Question 23

What are the differences between ribose and 2-deoxyribose?

Answer 23

Ribose has an OH group at 2’ carbon and is the building block of RNA.
2-deoxyribose lacks the OH group at the 2’ carbon and is the building block of DNA.

Question 24

Which sugar is this?

Answer 24

Ribose

Question 25

Which sugar is this?

Answer 25

Deoxyribose

Question 26

Draw deoxyribose.

Answer 26

Question 27

Draw ribose.

Answer 27

Question 28

How do we differentiate between the carbons in the nitrogenous base and the carbons in the ribose sugar?

Answer 28

Carbons in the nitrogenous base are numbered normally while carbons of the ribose sugar are numbered with a prime

Question 29

How are purines connected to their sugars?

Answer 29

Nitrogen 9 is connected to 1' carbon of the ribose sugar.

Question 30

How are pyrimidines connected to their ribose sugar?

Answer 30

Nitrogen 1 is connected to the 1' carbon of the ribose sugar.

Question 31

Name this nucleoside. Number the carbons.

Answer 31

Adenosine

Question 32

Name this nucleoside. Number the carbons.

Answer 32

Question 33

What carbon of the ribose sugar attaches to the phosphate group in a nucleotide?

Answer 33

5'