Question

Explain the structure of DNA and RNA nucleotides.

Answer 1

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA):

1. DNA is a self-replicating substance that makes up the majority of chromosomes in almost all living things. It is the genetic information's transporter.
2. It is a double helix structure and is formed by complementary base pairing.
3. Two such strands running in opposite directions to each other makeup DNA.
4. The basic building block of nucleic acids is a nucleotide. They are the monomers, or basic units, of DNA and RNA. They combine to form polynucleotide chains, which give DNA its structure.
5. A nucleotide mainly consists of three parts. They consist of phosphate groups, a pentose sugar (a five-carbon sugar), and a nitrogenous base.
6. DNA nucleotides are made up of Sugar (Deoxyribose), Base (Adenine$\left(\mathrm{A}\right)$, and Guanine$\left(\mathrm{G}\right)$, Cytosine$\left(\mathrm{C}\right)$, Thiamine$\left(\mathrm{T}\right)$), and Phosphate
7. The nucleotides are joined to one another like a chain(strand) by phosphodiester bonds between the $3\text{'}-$hydroxyl group deoxyribose sugar of one nucleotide and the $5^{\text{'}}-$phosphate group of the next, resulting in an alternating sugar-phosphate backbone.

Ribonucleic acid (RNA):

1. All living cells contain ribonucleic acid. Although in some viruses RNA carries the genetic material, its main function is to act as a messenger carrying instructions from DNA for controlling the synthesis of proteins.
2. The RNA is a single helix structure and is not formed by complementary base pairing.
3. The basic building block of nucleic acids is a nucleotide. They are the monomers, or basic units, of DNA and RNA. They combine to form polynucleotide chains, which give RNA its structure.
4. A nucleotide mainly consists of three parts. They consist of phosphate groups, a pentose sugar (a five-carbon sugar), and a nitrogenous base
5. RNA nucleotides are made up of Sugar (Ribose), Base (Adenine$\left(\mathrm{A}\right)$, Guanine$\left(\mathrm{G}\right)$, Cytosine$\left(\mathrm{C}\right)$, and Uracil$\left(\mathrm{U}\right)$), and Phosphate.
6. RNA nucleotide is comprised of Uracil, which is highly prone to mutation and not very stable.
7. The nucleotides are joined to one another like a chain(strand) by phosphodiester bonds between the $3\text{'}-$hydroxyl group ribose sugar of one nucleotide and the $5\text{'}-$phosphate group of the next, resulting in an alternating sugar-phosphate backbone.