Nucleic Acids

  • Includes DNA and RNA
  • Made up of monomers known as nucleotides
  • Nucleotide is made up of three components – ribose sugar, phosphate group and one of the 4 nitrogenous bases (A, T, C or G)
  • They are found in the nucleus in all cells and encode the genetic material that make up an organism (DNA)
damp_chemical_structure

(Image from wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nucleotide)

 

Structure Level Info
Primary structure The sequence of nucleotides that are held together by phosphodiester bonds in a certain order.
Secondary structure The interactions of the two strands of DNA. Remember that DNA consists of a two strands that form the double helix, this double helix structure is held and maintained by the hydrogen bonds that form between the nitrogenous basis between the two DNA strand.