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4.13 Nucleic Acids Contain the Blueprint for Life
Nucleic Acid
• vital to cell function (used for protein synthesis)
• the building block of a nucleic acid is a nucleotide
• there are two types of nucleic acid: DNA and RNA
Nucleotides
• a nucleotide is made of three parts (see figure to right):
• a phosphate group
• a 5-carbon sugar (DNA has deoxyribose, RNA has ribose)
• a nitrogen base (there are five different bases available)
RNA
• is made of a single-stranded chain of nucleotides
• is used to bond amino acids together during the synthesis of protein
DNA
• nucleotides form a double helix which makes up a chromosome (structure
that carries genetic information) and is found in a cell’s nucleus (see figure below)
• stores the information needed for protein synthesis
• by controlling enzyme production, DNA controls all the activities (chemical
reactions) of a cell
Chromosome
DNA nucleotide in box
sugar and phosphate
nitrogen base