Nucleic+Acids

=__Nucleic Acids__= Mr. Greenwood Nucleic Acid Topics


 * __Important Definitions__**

Examples: DNA and RNA
 * NUCLEIC ACID** - a macromolecule made up of acids that are composed of nucleic acid chains

Nucleotide
 * NUCLEOTIDE** - a building block or a monomer of nucleic acid chains


 * SUGAR-** a part of the nucleotide also know as pentose. Pentose is made up of 5 carbon.


 * PHOSPHATE** - the second part of a nucleotide.
 * NITROGEN BASE** - the third part of a nucleotide. There are 4 kinds of nitrogen bases. (listed below)




 * DNA** -stands for deoxyribonnucleic acid. It is a double stranded molecule held together by hydrogen bonds and between pairs of nucleotides. It is responsible for inheritance and it is a nucleic acid that contains sugar deoxyribose. It is made up of Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, and Cytosine.


 * RNA** - stands for ribonucleic acid. It is a nucleic acid containing the sugar ribose. It is made up of Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine, and Uracil.




 * A,T,G,C** - the different bases found in DNA. They are Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, and Cytosine


 * CARBON** - an element also known as C and it is a non-metal. It is found in nucleotides.


 * A,U,G,C** - the different bases that are in RNA. They are Adenine, Uracil, Guanine, and Cytosine


 * HYDROGEN** - an element also known as H. It is the smallest atom and is a non-metal. It can combine with oxygen to make water. It is an element in a nucleotide


 * RIBOSE** - a five-carbon sugar that serves as a component of RNA


 * OXYGEN** -an element also known as O. It consisits of about one-fifth of the volume of the atmosphere and is essential for all plants and animals. It is an element in a nucleotide


 * DEOXYRIBOSE** - the sugar component of DNA that has one less hydroxyl than ribose




 * WATSON AND CRICK** - two scientists that deciphered the structure of the DNA molecule in 1953.


 * DOUBLE HELIX**- two strands of nucleictides wound about eachother; structure of DNA


 * ANTIPARALLEL**- chains of nucleotides (DNA)

Double Helix


 * COMPLEMENTARY BASE PAIRING-** two nucleotides on opposite complementary DNA or RNA strands that are connected to the hydrogen bonds. For an example, A pairs with T and G pairs with C. A is complentary to T and G is complemntary to C.


 * ATP**- it stands for adenosine triphosphate. The adenosine part is made up of a nitrogen-containing compound called adenine and ribose. The triphosphate or the tail is made up of three phosphate groups. The function of the tail is used as the main energy source thatcells use for most of their work.

ATP


 * HEREDITY** - the transmission of genetic characters from parents to offspring


 * REPLICATION** - the process of copying a double stranded DNA molecule

__Nucleic Acids__
 * __Nucleic Acid Chart:__**


 * __Helpful Sites__**

http://www.indstate.edu/thcme/mwking/nucleic-acids.html

http://library.med.utah.edu/NetBiochem/nucacids.htm

http://www.visionlearning.com/library/module_viewer.php?mid=63