2. DNA
• Its a polymer of deoxyribo
nucleotides
• found in
chromosomes,mitochondri
a and chloroplasts
• carries the genetic
information
3. Introduction
DNA has four major functions
1. it contains the blueprint for making proteins and enzymes
2. it plays a role in regulating when the proteins and enzymes
are made and when they are not made
3. it carries this information when cells divide
4. it transmits this information from parental organisms to
their offspring.
4. Physical structure of DNA
• Physically,DNA resembles a
spiral staircase.
• The two backbones to this
ladder are composed of
sugars (S) and phosphates
(P)
• Each rung of the ladder is
composed of two chemicals,
called nucleotides or base
• pairs, that are chemically
bonded to each other.
11. DNA Replication
• When a cell divides, both
of the daughter cells must
contain the same genetic
instructions.
• Consequently, DNA must be
duplicated so that one copy
ends up in one cell and the
other in the second cell.
12. • The first step in DNA replication occurs when an enzyme
separates the rungs much as our mythical saw cut them right
down the middle.
• The two strands of the DNA separate. Enzymes then grab on
to nucleotides floating free in the cell, glue them on to their
appropriate partners on the separated stands, and synthesize
a new backbone.
15. RNA
Like DNA, RNA has four and only four
nucleotides. But unlike DNA, RNA uses the
nucleotide uracil (abbreviated as U)
16. • The four RNA nucleotides are adenine (A), cytosine (C),
guanine(G), and uracil (U).
• The nucleotides in RNA also exhibit complementary base
pairing.
• The RNA nucleotides may pair with either DNA or other RNA
molecules.
RNA Nucleotides
17. • When RNA pairs with DNA,
G always pairs with C,T in
DNA always pairs with A in
RNA, but A in DNA pairs
with U in RNA.
• When RNA pairs with RNA,
then G pairs with C and A
pairs with U.
RNA Base Pairing
18. • RNA is single-stranded while
DNA is double-stranded.
• That is, RNA does not have the
ladder-like structure of the
DNA
• Instead, RNA would look after
the ladder was sawed down the
middle and one half of it
discarded (with, of course, the
added proviso that U would
substitute for T in the remaining
half).
RNA Structure