RNA nucleotides are composed of a phosphate group, ribose sugar, and one of four nitrogenous bases: adenine, cytosine, guanine, or uracil. These bases allow nucleotides to bond together via hydrogen bonds to form RNA strands. The order of bases in RNA acts as a code to carry out functions like DNA replication and protein production through transcription and translation. Transfer RNA (tRNA) helps translate the genetic code carried by mRNA into proteins by matching amino acids to mRNA codons through nucleotide base pairing in its anticodon region.

1. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/T
RNA-Phe_yeast_1ehz.png/220px-TRNA-Phe_yeast_1ehz.png
RNA Nucleotides: Chemical Structure,
Function, and the Importance of its 4 Bases

2. Chemical Structure
RNA nucleotides contain:
5
- Ribose
4 1
- Phosphate group
Uracil, rather than Thymine 3 2
- Nitrogenous base which is used in DNA.
http://student.ccbcmd.edu/~gkaiser/biotutorials/dna/images/RNAbases.jpg

3. Nucleotide Function and Importance of the Nitrogenous Bases
The function of a nucleotide is to provide a digit for a coding and to collaborate
with other nucleotides to create a specific code.
Collectively, RNA nucleotides are very important because they can be used to
replicate DNA and code for proteins during the transcription and translation processes.
To get to that stage, the separate nucleotides must covalently bond together via 3’-5’
Phosphodiester bonds (called so because the bond is between the 3’ OH of one
nucleotide and the phosphate group on the 5’ C of the Ribose of another).
Each nitrogenous base in the
strand that is formed acts as part
of the code that is being made –
U, A, C and G.
These bases bind to other bases
using Hydrogen bonding, which
can effectively translate the code.

4. Many nucleotides can be linked
up together, here we are using
three. http://www.uic.edu/classes/phys/phys461/phys450/ANJUM04/
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/AGCT_RNA_
mini.png/220px-AGCT_RNA_mini.png

5. As a brief example of the importance of nucleotides, we’ll look at tRNA.
The anti-codon contains 3 nucleotides, which in turn contain three bases that code for one
amino acid. These amino acids are attached together with peptide bonds, creating a protein.
http://www.wiley.com/college/boyer/0470003790/structure/tRNA/trna_diagram.gif

6. Conclusion
RNA nucleotides work together with DNA nucleotides to help create
the building blocks of life.
http://www.gadgetsdatabase.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Soap-disguised-as-Lego-Pieces.jpg
http://shrink4men.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/lego-man.jpg