[Home]Nucleic acid

HomePage | Recent Changes | Preferences

Difference (from prior minor revision) (no other diffs)

Changed: 3c3
Nucleic acid, so called because of its prevalence in cellular nuclei, is the generic name of family of biopolymers. The monomers are called nucleotides, and each consists of three components: a nitrogenous heterocyclic? base (either a purine or a pyrimidine, a pentose sugar, and a phosphate group. Different nucleic acid types differ in the specific sugar found in their chain (e.g. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid contains 2' deoxyriboses). The sugars and phosphates in nucleic acids are connected to each other in an alternating chain:
Nucleic acid, so called because of its prevalence in cellular nuclei, is the generic name of family of biopolymers. The monomers are called nucleotides, and each consists of three components: a nitrogenous heterocyclic? base (either a purine or a pyrimidine), a pentose sugar, and a phosphate group. Different nucleic acid types differ in the specific sugar found in their chain (e.g. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid contains 2'-deoxyriboses). The sugars and phosphates in nucleic acids are connected to each other in an alternating chain:

Changed: 9c9
The bases are pendant from the 1' carbon of the pentose ring.
The bases are pendant from a glycosidic linkage to the 1' carbon of the pentose ring.

Changed: 11c11
Nucleic acids are primarily biology's means of storing and transmitting genetic information, though RNA is also capable of acting as a enzyme.
Nucleic acids are primarily biology's means of storing and transmitting genetic information, though RNA is also capable of acting as an enzyme.

One of the basic classes of substances studied in biochemistry.

Nucleic acid, so called because of its prevalence in cellular nuclei, is the generic name of family of biopolymers. The monomers are called nucleotides, and each consists of three components: a nitrogenous heterocyclic? base (either a purine or a pyrimidine), a pentose sugar, and a phosphate group. Different nucleic acid types differ in the specific sugar found in their chain (e.g. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid contains 2'-deoxyriboses). The sugars and phosphates in nucleic acids are connected to each other in an alternating chain:

 -sugar-phosphate-sugar-phosphate-sugar-phosphate-

through shared oxygens (forming a phosphodiester functional group) Using the conventional nomenclature, the carbons to which the phosphate groups are attached are the 3' and the 5' carbons.

The bases are pendant from a glycosidic linkage to the 1' carbon of the pentose ring.

Nucleic acids are primarily biology's means of storing and transmitting genetic information, though RNA is also capable of acting as an enzyme.


HomePage | Recent Changes | Preferences
This page is read-only | View other revisions
Last edited August 4, 2001 12:24 am by JoeAnderson (diff)
Search: