BIOMOLECULES

„ All organims are made of biomolecules.

biomolecules.

„ A biomolecule is a chemical compound that naturally occurs in living

Pathogens Biomolecules
organisms. Biomolecules consist primarily of carbon and hydrogen,
hydrogen, along
with nitrogen,
nitrogen, oxygen,
oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur.
sulfur. Other elements sometimes are
incorporated but are much less common.

and DNA „ The most important biomolecules are:

1. Lipids and derivates like Phospholipid,

Phospholipid, Glycolipid,
Glycolipid, Sterol.
Sterol.
B.K.Kolita Kamal Jinadasa,
Jinadasa,
Post Harvest Technology Division, 2. Peptide and derivates like Oligopeptide,
Oligopeptide, Polypeptide and
NARA, Protein.
Protein.
Colombo-
Colombo-15,
Sri Lanka. 3. Oligosaccharide,
Oligosaccharide, Polysaccharide .

4. Nucleic acid,:
acid,: DNA,
DNA, RNA.
RNA.

NUCLEIC ACIDS
„ A nucleic acid is a complex, high-
high-molecular-
molecular-weight biochemical macromolecule
Nucleotide structure
composed of nucleotide chains that convey genetic information.
information. The most common
nucleic acids are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA).
Nucleic acids are found in all living cells and viruses.
viruses.

„ The monomers from which nucleic acids are constructed are called nucleotides.
nucleotides.
Each nucleotide consists of three components: a nitrogenous heterocyclic base, base,
either a purine or a pyrimidine;
pyrimidine; a pentose sugar;
sugar; and a phosphate group.

„ Different nucleic acid types differ in the structure of the sugar

sugar in their nucleotides;
DNA contains 2-2-deoxyriboses while RNA contains ribose.ribose. The nitrogenous bases
found in the two nucleic acids are different: adenine,
adenine, cytosine,
cytosine, and guanine are in
both RNA and DNA, while thymine only occurs in DNA and uracil only occurs in
RNA.

Ribonucleic acid (RNA)

„ RNA polynucleotides contain ribose sugars and predominantly uracil.
uracil. RNA
„ RNA serves as the template for translation of genes into proteins,
proteins, transferring
amino acids to the ribosome to form proteins, and also translating the transcript Transfer RNA (tRNA
into proteins. (tRNA))

„ Types of RNA

1. Messenger RNA (mRNA): Messenger RNA is RNA that carries information

from DNA to the ribosome sites of protein synthesis in the cell. Once mRNA has
been transcribed from DNA, it is exported from the nucleus into the cytoplasm.

2. Transfer RNA (tRNA

(tRNA)) : Transfer RNA is a small RNA chain of about 74- 74-95
nucleotides that transfers a specific amino acid to a growing polypeptide chain at
the ribosomal site of protein synthesis during translation.
translation. It has sites for amino-
amino-acid
attachment and an anticodon region for codon recognition that binds to a specific
sequence on the messenger RNA chain through hydrogen bonding. It is a type of
non-
non-coding RNA.
RNA.
Messenger RNA
3. Ribosomal RNA (rRNA (rRNA)) : Ribosomal RNA is a component of the ribosomes,
ribosomes, the
protein synthetic factories in the cell. Eukaryotic ribosomes contain four different
rRNA molecules: 18S, 5.8S, 28S, and 5S rRNA.rRNA. The ribosome binds mRNA and
carries out protein synthesis.

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 DNA
RNA „ Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)DNA) is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic
instructions for the development and functioning of living organisms
„ In eukaryotes such as animals and plants,
plants, DNA is stored inside the cell
nucleus,
nucleus, while in prokaryotes such as bacteria,
bacteria, the DNA is in the cell's
cytoplasm.
cytoplasm.

EUKARYOTE PROKARYOTE

Ribosomic RNA

DNA BONDS
DOUBLE HELIX The DNA double helix is stabilized by hydrogen bonds between the bases attached to
the two strands.
strands. The four bases found in DNA are adenine (abbreviated A), cytosine
(C), guanine (G) and thymine (T).

BASES
Base pairing
These bases are classified into two types;
types; adenine and guanine are fused five-
five- and six-
six-
membered heterocyclic compounds called purines,
purines, while cytosine and thymine are six-
six-
membered rings called pyrimidines

Each type of base on one strand forms a bond with just one type of base on the other
strand.
strand. This is called complementary base pairin.
pairin. Purines form hydrogen bonds to
pyrimidines,
pyrimidines, with A bonding only to T, and C bonding only to G.

GC base pair with three AT base pair with two

hydrogen bonds hydrogen bonds

Adenine Guanine Cytosine Thymine

2
 Double helix Antiparallel strands
•DNA is a long polymer made from repeating units called nucleotides.
nucleotides. DNA is antiparallel,
antiparallel, it means that the two strands of DNA have opposite chemical
polarity, or, stated another way, their sugar-
sugar-phosphate backbones run in opposite
•A nucleotide is a chemical compound that consists of 3 components:
components: a heterocyclic base,
base, directions
a sugar,
sugar, and one or more phosphate groups.
groups.

•These two long strands entwine like vines, in the shape of a double helix.
helix.

DNA
DNA special properties
„ These bases are classified into two types;
types; adenine and guanine are fused five-
five-
and six-
six-membered heterocyclic compounds called purines,
purines, while cytosine and
thymine are six-
six-membered rings called pyrimidines „ DNA is made of two antiparallel and complimentary strands : Direction in
nucleic acids is specified by referring to the carbons of the ribose
ribose ring in
„ Each type of base on one strand forms a bond with just one type of base on the sugar-
sugar-phosphate backbone of DNA. 5' specifies the 5th carbon in the
the other strand.
strand. This is called complementary base pairin.
pairin. Purines form ribose ring, counting clockwise from the oxygen molecule, and 3' specifies
hydrogen bonds to pyrimidines,
pyrimidines, with A bonding only to T, and C bonding the 3rd carbon in the ring. Nucleic acid polymerization cannot occur
occur in 3' to
only to G. 5', because of the difference in chemical properties between the 5' methyl
group and the 3' ring-
ring-carbon with an attached hydroxyl group.
„ DNA exists in several possible conformations.
conformations. The conformations so far
identified are: A-DNA,
DNA, B-
B-DNA, C-C-DNA, D-D-DNA, E-E-DNA, H-
H-DNA, L- L- „ Hydrophillic polar external sugar-
sugar-phosphate backbone.
DNA, and Z-DNA.
DNA. „ Hydrophobic core of bases: Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, Cytosine.
„ DNA is negatively charged due to the phosphate ions present in thethe ribose-
ribose-
phosphate backbone. It moves towards the positive pole during
electrophoresis.
„ DNA resist high temperatures. When DNA is desnatured DNA, it can
renature itself. This property is very important in PCR and permit the
primer annealing.