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Flashcards in nucleotides and nucleic acids Deck (20)
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1
Q

what do DNA and RNA stand for?

A

deoxyribo nucleic acid / ribo nucleic acid

2
Q

describe the structure of DNA

A

double helix, ladder

3
Q

what’s the function of DNA?

A

carries genetic information

4
Q

what are the three parts that make up a nucleotide?

A

phosphate, pentose sugar, and an organic base

5
Q

name the 5 nitrogenous bases

A

adenine, thymine, uracil, guanine, and cytosine

6
Q

the pentose sugar and phosphate group are joined together by a…

A

condensation reaction

7
Q

what’s the name of the bond between nucleotides?

A

phosphodiester bond

8
Q

describe the structure of RNA

A

a relatively short polynucleotide chain

9
Q

what is the pentose sugar present in RNA called?

A

ribose

10
Q

what are two functions of RNA?

A

transfer of genetic information from DNA to ribosomes, and involved in protein synthesis

11
Q

what is the pentose sugar in DNA called?

A

deoxyribose

12
Q

how many polynucleotide chains make up DNA?

A

2

13
Q

what type of bond joins the two strands of DNA together?

A

hydrogen bonds

14
Q

what base is complimentary to adenine?

A

thymine in DNA / uracil in RNA

15
Q

what base is complimentary to guanine?

A

cytosine

16
Q

what’s the relation ship between the amount of adenine in DNA to the amount of thymine in DNA?

A

for each adenine there is one thymine

17
Q

why is DNA a stable molecule?

A

phosphodiester backbone protects the more reactive bases in the double helix, and hydrogen bonds make it more stable (especially a C-G rung, as there are 3 hydrogen bonds)

18
Q

how many hydrogen bonds are there in an A-T rung?

A

2

19
Q

name the two main processes in cell division

A

nuclear division and cytokinesis

20
Q

what are the two types of nuclear division?

A

mitosis and meiosis