THE

NUCLEIC ACIDS
Nucleoside Vs Nucleotide
 A nucleoside consists of a nitrogenous base covalently attached
to a sugar (ribose or deoxyribose) but without the phosphate
group.
 Anucleotide consists of a nitrogenous base, a sugar (ribose or
deoxyribose) and one to three phosphate groups.
 Nucleic Acids
 Nucleic acids are polynucleotide Chain (polymers)
 Their building blocks (units) are nucleotides

Two types of nucleic acid

1. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) –

i. unit is deoxiribonucleotide
ii. In eukaryotes, it’s found in the nucleus with small amounts in
mitochondria and chloroplasts

2. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) –

i. unit is ribonucleotide
ii. Found throughout the prokaryotes and eukaryote cell
 NUCLEOTIDE STRUCTURE

PHOSPHORIC PENTOSE NITROGENOUS BASE

ACID SUGAR (Five PURINES PYRIMIDINES
(PHOSPHATE carbon
monosaccharide) Adenine (A) Cytocine (C)
GROUP)
Guanine(G) Thymine (T)
Ribose or Uracil (U)
Deoxyribose

NUCLEOTIDE
© 2007 Paul Billiet ODWS
 Nucleotides
Mononucleotide: Adenosine triphosphate
Adinine + Ribose (pentose Sugar) -- Adenine-Ribose (Adenosine)

Dinucleotide: Adenine dinucleotide

Adinine Dinucleotide + vitamins -- Co enzymes (NAD, NADP, FAD

Polynucleotide:
DNA, RNA
Ribose is a pentose
C5

C4 C1

C3 C2

© 2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

 Spot the difference
RIBOSE DEOXYRIBOSE

CH2OH CH2OH
O OH O OH

C C C C

H H H H H H H H

C C C C

OH OH OH H
© 2007 Paul Billiet ODWS
Nitrogenous bases
Purine:
The first two of the five different bases
found in nucleic acids are adenine and
guanine which contains double ring bases
and are classified as purines.

Pyrimidine
The other three are cytosine, thymine and
uracil which are single ring bases and
belong to the class of compounds called
pyrimidines.

Purines and pyrimidines are bases because

the nitrogen atom present can accept the
proton.
 P

THE SUGAR-PHOSPHATE
BACKBONE P

 The nucleotides are all orientated in the same direction

 The nucleotides in the DNA molecule are bonded to
one another in such a manner that the sugar of one P
nucleotide is linked to the phosphate group of the next
one
 In this way the nucleotides form a linear molecule P
called a strand .

© 2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

 P
G

ADDING IN THE BASES P

C
 The bases are attached to the 1st Carbon
P
 Their order is important C
It determines the genetic information of
the molecule
P
A
 In strand , the backbone is made up of
sugar alternating with the phosphate
group. The bases are projected to one P
side of strand. T

P
T
 DNA IS MADE OF TWO STRANDS OF
POLYNUCLEOTIDE

 The sister strands of the DNA

molecule run in opposite directions
(antiparallel)
 They are joined by the bases
 Each base is paired with a specific
partner:
A is always paired with T
G is always paired with C
Purine with Pyrimidine
 The sister strands are
complementary but not identical
 The bases are joined by hydrogen
bonds
 The Double Helix

In molecular biology, the term double helix refers to the coiled

structure formed by double-stranded molecules of nucleic acids such as
DNA
 RiboNucleic Acid
• It is also Polymer of nucleotides.
• RNA contains Pentose sugar as Ribose.
• Formed by 4 different types of nucleotides.

• These nucleotides are named after the base present in them,

1. Adenine ribonucleotide
2. Guanine ribonucleotide
3. Cytosine ribonucleotide
4. Uracil ribonucleotide (instead of Thymine)

• The nucleotides in the RNA are linked together in same manner as

in DNA
• RNA is a single polynucleotide strand
Heredity and Genetic code
 DNA: hereditary (genetic) material – responsible for the
transfer of genetic information from parents to offspring.
 Genetic code: all genetic information is encoded in the DNA
molecule in the form of gene.
 Gene- the unit of heredity in living organisms
 There are four nitrogenous bases that are involved in the
formation of code:
1. Adenine
2. Guanine
3. Thymine
4. Cytosine