NUCLEIC ACID BIOCHEMISTRY

DO YOU KNOW WHAT IS NUCLEIC ACID ?

Nucleic acids are linear polymers that consist of monomers called nucleotides. 

Each nucleotide carries 

- a sugar

- a nitrogenous base

- a phosphate group

There are two types of nucleic acids in a nature 

- deoxyribose nucleic acids (DNA)

- ribonucleic acids (RNA). 

DNA contains the deoxyribose sugar and typically exists in a double-helix form. 

Functions of DNA are :

- to store the genetic information and keep it readily accessible to the cell 

- to pass down genetic information to offspring during reproduction. 

RNA molecules contain the ribose sugar and exist predominately as single-strand molecules.

Functions of RNA are :

- transcribes the genetic information into a form that is easy to understand and read by the cell 

- assist in protein synthesis.