Links
Objectives
- Describe the general structure of nucleic acids
- Discuss how nucleic acids encode information
Key points
- nucleic acid polymers are not repeats of the identical monomer
- nucleotides are made up of a sugar, a nitrogenous base, and a phosphate
- five kinds based on differing N-base
- purines (A, G) and pyrimidines (C, T, U)
- phosphodiester bond formation is energy-releasing
- DNA secondary structure forms double-helix
- antiparallel strands
- bases toward inside, pair by H-bonding
- each strand acts as a template for new strand by base-pairing
- sequences of DNA encode genes, which specify proteins
In-class activities
- discuss classic paper bundle