Nucleic acid
Nucleic acids are biopolymers, or large biomolecules, essential for all known forms of life. They are composed of nucleotides, which are the monomers made of three components: a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group and a nitrogenous base. The two main types of nucleic acids are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA).
Structure[edit | edit source]
Nucleic acids are usually composed of three components: a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. If the sugar is deoxyribose, the polymer is DNA. If the sugar is ribose, the polymer is RNA.
Function[edit | edit source]
Nucleic acids function in cell machinery and are also important in the storage and transmission of genetic information. DNA is used as a template in the synthesis of RNA. RNA, in turn, can be used to create proteins. This process is known as protein synthesis.
Types[edit | edit source]
There are two types of nucleic acids: DNA and RNA. DNA carries the cell's genetic information and RNA uses that information to construct proteins.
DNA[edit | edit source]
DNA is a long polymer with a deoxyribose and phosphate backbone and four different bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine.
RNA[edit | edit source]
RNA is a polymer with a ribose and phosphate backbone and four different bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and uracil.
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
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