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

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

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

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

DNA is a long polymer with a deoxyribose and phosphate backbone and four different bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine.

RNA

RNA is a polymer with a ribose and phosphate backbone and four different bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and uracil.

See also

• Nucleotide
• Protein synthesis
• Genetic code

References

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