Scribd
Upload
71 views5 pages

Unit 5 Dna: Discuss The Chemistry of The Genetic Information Carrier

The document discusses DNA and the central dogma of molecular biology. It describes how DNA stores and transmits genetic information to direct protein synthesis. The central dogma explains that DNA is transcribed into mRNA which is then translated into proteins. DNA is made of nucleotides containing nitrogenous bases, sugars and phosphates. Genes are segments of DNA that code for proteins and RNA. The human genome contains over 3 billion nucleotide base pairs organized into 23 chromosome pairs.

Uploaded by

Mariz Althea Jem Briones
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
71 views5 pages

Unit 5 Dna: Discuss The Chemistry of The Genetic Information Carrier

The document discusses DNA and the central dogma of molecular biology. It describes how DNA stores and transmits genetic information to direct protein synthesis. The central dogma explains that DNA is transcribed into mRNA which is then translated into proteins. DNA is made of nucleotides containing nitrogenous bases, sugars and phosphates. Genes are segments of DNA that code for proteins and RNA. The human genome contains over 3 billion nucleotide base pairs organized into 23 chromosome pairs.

Uploaded by

Mariz Althea Jem Briones
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 5

UNIT 5 DNA

At the end of this unit, I will be able to:

● discuss the chemistry of the genetic information carrier

Central Dogma of Molecular Biology


● Describes the interrelationship of 3 major biomolecules: DNA, RNA, proteins (How genes control which and
when proteins may be synthesized by the body).
● Comprised of the 3 major processes in gene expression:
1. Replication (DNA --> DNA)
▪ The copying of parental DNA to form daughter DNA molecules with a completely identical sequence
2. Transcription (DNA --> mRNA)
▪ The process by which parts of the genetic message encoded in DNA are copied precisely into RNA
3. Translation (mRNA --> protein)
▪ The genetic message encoded in a messenger RNA (mRNA) is translated by ribosomes into a
polypeptide with a particular sequence of amino acids.

Figure 5.1 The Central Dogma of Molecular Biology.


● Chromosomal DNA: located in the chromosomes, which are within the nucleus; dictates activities of the cell.
● Mitochondrial DNA: located in the mitochondrion; encodes mitochondrial proteins.

Figure 5.2 The Human Genome. Genes are found within DNA, which are condensed into chromosomes, which
are mostly kept in the nucleus of the cell.

● GENES: segments of DNA that code for polypeptide chains and RNAs
o Components of the information unit of living organisms.
o The entire DNA that encodes the primary sequence of some final gene product, which can be either a
polypeptide or RNA with a structural or catalytic function.
o Specific unit in the chromosome that will encode for a specific protein; one chromosome will contain
more than 1 gene
o The number of genes depends on how many chromosomes an organism has
Table 1. Comparison of Chromosomal Composition

Organism Total Base # of # of genes


Pairs chromosome
s
E. coli 4,639,221 1 4,405
Yeast 12,068,000 16 6,200
Fruit Fly 180,000,000 18 13,600
Mouse 2,500,000,000 40 30K-35K
Human 3,200,000,000 46 30K-35K

▪ Simplest is the E coli genome containing 4.6 million bases that will end up being stored only in one
chromosome
▪ Diploid cell of a human individual will contain as much as 6.4 billion base pairs that are going to be
distributed and compacted into 46 chromosomes:
o 22 pairs will be the autosomes/somatic chromosomes
o 1 pair remain as the XY chromosome (sex-dependent)
o Note that each chromosome will not contain 6.4 billion bps. These are distributed over the 23
pairs unevenly (some will have more, some will have less).

Figure 5.3 Molecular Nature of a Gene..


Nucleotides
● Monomers of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA)
● Composed of:
o Phosphate group: bonded to C5’ (PHOSPHOESTER BOND)
o Nitrogenous base: bonded to C1’ (N-GLYCOSIDIC BOND)
▪ Purines (via N3) – Adenine, Guanine
▪ Pyrimidines (via N9) – Cytosine, Uracil, Thymine
o Sugar
▪ RIBOSE – sugar in RNA; has –OH at 2’ position
▪ DEOXYRIBOSE – sugar in DNA; does not have –OH at 2’
● The polymerization of nucleotides give rise to nucleic acids
o The linkage between nucleotides involves formation of 2 ester bonds by phosphoric acid. The OH groups
to which the phosphoric acid is esterified are those bonded to the 3’ and 5’ carbons of the sugar on
adjacent residues.
o The resulting repeated linkage is a 3’, 5’-PHOSPHODIESTER BOND.
▪ The chain of sugars linked by PHOSPHODIESTER BRIDGES is referred to as the BACKBONE of the
nucleic acid (Figure 5).
● Nucleotide residues are numbered from the 5’ end, which normally carries a phosphate group, to the 3’ end,
which normally has a free OH group.

DNA:
The chemical basis of heredity and is organized into genes, the fundamental units of genetic information
contains :
▪ CODING sequences, which would encode the primary structure (sequence) of proteins and RNAs
▪ REGULATORY sequences which would determine what will happen in the central dogma; provide
signals that may:
a.) denote the beginning or the end of genes, or
b.) influence the transcription of genes, or function as initiation points for replication or
recombination
● Human DNA is made up of at least 6 million base pairs
● Double-stranded polymer of nucleotides with the two strands running anti-parallel (in opposite directions)
to each other
● Base pairing (ONE PURINE to ONE PYRIMIDINE)
o Follows a specific rule (Watson-Crick base pairing) to maintain the regular helical structure independent
of base sequence
▪ Adenine (A) – Thymine (T) (*replaced with U in RNA)
▪ Guanine (G) – Cytosine (C)
● Chargaff’s rules:
a) Base composition of DNA varies from one species to another.
b) DNA specimen from same species will contain same base composition despite coming from different
tissues.
c) Base composition doesn’t change with age, nutritional
state, or environment.
d) # of adenine (A) = # of thymine (T),
# of guanine (G) = # of cytosine (G)
# of (A+G) = # of (T+C)

RNA
● Single-stranded molecule
● RNA vs DNA (differences in covalent structure)
o BOTH have the same 3’5’ phosphodiester backbone
o Difference lies in sugar units and bases in sequence:
a) Ribose in RNA; Deoxyribose in DNA
▪ Ribose contains a 2’-hydroxyl group
▪ In addition to the standard 3’ 5’ linkage, a 2’ 5’ linkage is possible for RNA. This later linkage is
important in the removal of introns and the joining of exons for the formation of mature RNA.
b) Uracil (U) in RNA; Thymine (T) in DNA
● 3 types of RNA:
1) mRNA (messenger RNA) – template for protein synthesis or translation
2) tRNA (transfer RNA) – carries amino acids in an activated
form to the ribosome for peptide-bond formation
3) rRNA (ribosomal RNA) – where polypeptide chain is
synthesize
Table 2. Comparison of DNA vs RNA

DNA RNA
Sugar Deoxyribose Ribose
Major Purines Adenine and Guanine Adenine and Guanine

Major Pyrimidines Thymine and Cytosine Cytosine and Uracil

Comprise about 1% of total About 5-10%


weight of the cell
Found primarily in the Exists in 3 major forms
chromosomal form in the (rRNA, tRNA, mRNA)
cell’s nucleus

References
Devlin, Thomas M. Textbook of Biochemistry with Clinical Correlations. New York: John Wiley & Sons Inc. 7th
ed.
Nelson, David L., Michael M. Cox, and Albert L. Lehninger. Lehninger: Principles of Biochemistry. New York: W.
H. Freeman.

You might also like