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Structure & Function of Nucleic Acids

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Structure & Function of Nucleic Acids

The two natural types of nucleic acids are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). In animals, DNA forms a double helix while RNA is single-stranded. DNA and RNA also differ in the molecular units used to store genetic information (nucleotides).

  1. Structure of DNA

    • Nucelotides are the alphabet with which the genetic code is written. The DNA double helix has nucleotides on the inside, held in place by backbones on the outside made of sugars and phosphate groups. The double structure facilitates cell division.

    Complementary Structure

    • Each nucleotide can sit opposite only its complement. (For example, adenine can share a step in the spiral with thymine; cytosine is the complement of guanine.) If one nucleotide is damaged, gene-repair mechanisms can identify the damaged nucleotide by its complementary nucleotide.

    Function of DNA

    • DNA stores genetic code, which serves as blueprint for protein production elsewhere in the cell.

    Function of mRNA

    • Messenger RNA (mRNA) directly copies the genetic code from DNA before exiting the nucleus to create proteins outside. This enables DNA to remain behind, safe in the nucleus.

    Function of tRNA

    • mRNA moves to organelles called "ribosomes," where proteins (polymers of amino acids) are actually manufactured. Transfer RNA (tRNA) are nucleic acids that carry and attach amino acids to the mRNA, which acts act as a protein-building template.

    Structure of tRNA

    • tRNA is usually 70-90 nucleotides long, which is much shorter than mRNA. It comes in at least 20 varieties, corresponding to the 20 amino acids that are the building blocks of all proteins.

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