Definitions [7]
Define the following term.
nucleoside
The unit formed by joining the anomeric carbon of the furanose (sugar) with a nitrogen of a base is called nucleoside.
Nucleic acids are large biological macromolecules that store and transmit genetic information in living organisms.
DNA is a double-stranded nucleic acid that stores and transmits hereditary information and can replicate itself.
A nucleotide is the basic structural unit of nucleic acids, composed of a nitrogenous base, a pentose sugar, and a phosphate group.
A nucleoside consists of a nitrogenous base linked to a pentose sugar without a phosphate group.
A nitrogenous base is an organic molecule (purine or pyrimidine) that carries genetic information in nucleic acids.
RNA is a single-stranded nucleic acid that helps in protein synthesis and information transfer.
Key Points
- Nucleic acids are biomacromolecules present in the acid-insoluble fraction and are responsible for the storage and transmission of genetic information (DNA and RNA).
- They are polynucleotides, formed by repeated units called nucleotides.
- Each nucleotide consists of three components: a nitrogenous base, a pentose sugar, and a phosphate group.
- Nitrogenous bases are of two types: purines (adenine, guanine) and pyrimidines (cytosine, thymine, uracil).
- The sugar present is either ribose (in RNA) or 2′-deoxyribose (in DNA).
- DNA is double-stranded and contains bases A, T, G, and C, while RNA is single-stranded and contains A, U, G, and C.
- DNA stores genetic information, while RNA plays a key role in protein synthesis and the expression of genetic information.
