Animation 4.1: Nucleic Acids

INTRODUCTION

Although living cells are primarily made up of water, a number of other molecules are also abundant. Gigantic molecules, called macromolecules, populate a cell and provide it with important functions for life. For example, macromolecules provide structural support, a source of stored fuel, the ability to store and retrieve genetic information, and the ability to speed biochemical reactions. Four major types of macromolecules—proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, and lipids—play these important roles in the life of a cell. In this tutorial, we examine the structures and functions of nucleic acids.

CONCLUSION

The nucleic acids, DNA and RNA, consist of chains of nucleotides in a precise sequence. The nucleotide sequence provides a code that stores genetic information and that the cell can copy and pass on to the next generation of cells. The ability to copy nucleic acid sequences depends on the base-pairing rules that allow one strand of nucleotides to pair with a complementary strand. In one base pair, the bases guanine and cytosine bind to each other with three hydrogen bonds. In the other base pair, the bases thymine and adenine bind via two hydrogen bonds.

Textbook Reference: Key Concept 4.1 Nucleic Acids Are Informational Macromolecules