Structure

of:

DNA & RNA

Do Now! Write down what each number is

1 2

3 triglycerides

4 5

6 7
 Do Now!

5 W’s Who are these

people?

Where What
did
this
did
happen? they
do?

Why was When did

it done? this
happen?
Answers
Who?
• James Watson, Francis Crick & Rosalind Franklin
What?
• W&C used F’s X rays of DNA
• Double Helix structure of DNA & it’s replication
When?
• April 25th 1953 (published article in Nature)
Where?
• University of Cambridge
Why?
• Explained how genetic information was passed on
How does the structure of a nucleotide
relate to its function?
What we will cover today:

• The detailed structure of DNA

• Base pairing
• Structure and function
• History of the structure of DNA
• RNA structure and function
Recap
• What is a monomer? A small molecule which can be joined together to make a polymer

• What is a polymer? Polymers are long chains made of repeating monomer units

Condensation
• What reaction is used to make a polymer?

Hydrolysis
• What reaction is used to break a polymer?

Not made of repeating monomer units

• Why is a lipid not a polymer?
 What is DNA made from?
What are nucleic acids?
• Nucleic acids carry the genetic code.
• This code determines the order of amino acids in each protein that the cell makes.
• Cells can only make a specific protein if the correct code is there.
• The name ‘nucleic acid’ was coined after it’s discovery in the nucleus and the
presence of the phosphate group (phosphoric acid).

There are two types of nucleic acids:

• Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) Note taking skills –
• Ribonucleic acid (RNA) what are the key
points you need?
• Each is a polymer is made up of nucleotide monomers.
 The structure of Nucleotides
Using your knowledge of biochemistry what is a nucleotide made up of?
Pentose sugar Organic base

phosphate
group

• One five carbon sugar: deoxyribose in DNA

and ribose in RNA.
• One Phosphate group. Each has a negative
charge and makes the molecule highly
charged.
• One nitrogen containing organic base.
 Nitrogenous Bases
• There are the four different nucleotides that form the building blocks of DNA
• The nucleotides differ by their organic base
• Thymine and Cytosine are the two smaller bases and are described as pyrimidines

thymine cytosine

T C

• Adenine and guanine are the two larger bases and are described as purines
adenine guanine
A
G
Fig. 5-27c-1

Nitrogenous bases
Pyrimidines

Cytosine (C) Thymine (T, in DNA) Uracil (U, in RNA)

Purines

Adenine (A) Guanine (G)

(c) Nucleoside components: nitrogenous bases

 Polynucleotides
• A nucleic acid is a very long chain of nucleotides (DNA and RNA)

• What type of reaction would have to happen for nucleotides to join?

Condensation reaction between the deoxyribose sugar of one
mononucleotide a phosphate group of another mononucleotide.
• What is the name of the bond holding the sugar and phosphate
together?
Phosphodiester bond
 Fig. 5-27ab
5' end

Polynucleotid 5'C

e structure 3'C

Nucleoside

Nitrogenous
base
Video: formation phosphodiester bonds
5'C

Phosphate 3'C
group Sugar
5'C (pentose)

3'C (b) Nucleotide

3' end
(a) Polynucleotide, or nucleic acid
 Get creative!
Let’s put your knowledge to the test!

You need to create polynucleotide

(DNA) model from the craft material
provided.

Aim for at least 3 nucleotides and be

prepared to name all parts and point
where the phosphodiester bond is.
 Fig. 5-27ab
5' end

Polynucleotid 5'C

e structure 3'C

Nucleoside

Nitrogenous
base
Video: formation phosphodiester bonds
5'C

Phosphate 3'C
group Sugar
5'C (pentose)

3'C (b) Nucleotide

3' end
(a) Polynucleotide, or nucleic acid
 The Structure of DNA
The second polynucleotide
chain runs in the opposite
direction to the first.
Strong, covalent sugar –
• DNA consists of two phosphate bonding holds
polynucleotide strands. the polynucleotide together

• The backbone is a sugar- Weak hydrogen bonds

phosphate arrangement between the base pairs
and the bases project hold the two
toward the inside of the polynucleotides together
double helix.
The bases are aligned in
accordance with the base-
pairing rule
What pairs with what?
Checkpoint review
1. On the diagram draw a box around a sugar-
phosphate backbone
2. Circle and label a purine
3. Circle and label a base pair
4. Circle and label a nucleotide
5. What type of bonds exist between G and C?

6. What type of bonds exist between S and P?

7. Circle and label a pentose

Checkpoint review
1. On the diagram draw a box around a sugar-
phosphate backbone
2. Circle and label a purine
3. Circle and label a base pair
4. Circle and label a nucleotide
5. What type of bonds exist between G and C?
hydrogen
6. What type of bonds exist between S and P?
Covalent (phosphodiester)
7. Circle and label a pentose
How does the structure of a nucleotide
relate to its function?
What we will cover today:

• The detailed structure of DNA

• Base pairing
• Structure and function
• RNA structure and function
 The Base Pairing Rule
• The distance between the two backbones does not vary along the length of the molecule.
• This distance accommodates a purine-pyrimidine pair joined by hydrogen bonds.
• This is called base-pairing. They always pair the same way. Guanine
Adenine (Purine)
(Purine)

Cytosine Weak hydrogen

Thymine Weak hydrogen (pyrimidine)
(pyrimidine) Bonds
Bonds
Adenine ALWAYS pairs with Thymine A T Cytosine ALWAYS pairs with Guanine
C G
forming two hydrogen bonds forming three hydrogen bonds
The Base Pairing Rule
• Quantities of G and C are the same
• Quantities of A and T are the same
• It is the ratio of G-C and A-T that
varies between each species AND
the sequence of G-C and A-T
If 23.1 % of the base pairs in a human
DNA are Adenine, calculate the
percentage of DNA that is Guanine.
Show your reasoning.
If 23.1% = A, then 23.1% must be T.
Totalling 46.2%.
100% – 46.2% = 53.8% G and C.
53.8% / 2 = 26.9% only G.
How does the structure of a nucleotide
relate to its function?
What we will cover today:

• The detailed structure of DNA

• Base pairing
• Structure and function
• RNA structure and function
 Structure – function
Think about why the following features of DNA make it good at its job:
• Phosphodiester bonds
• Hydrogen bonds between bases
• Double stranded
• Long polymer
• Helical coil
• Base pairs in centre of helix
 How is DNA adapted to carry
out its function?
• Sugar phosphate backbone with phosphodiester bonds mean it is very stable and
can easily pass from generation to generation
• Two separate strands joined by weak H bonds which allow them to separate during
DNA replication (more on this later)
• Double stranded so allows semi conservative replication (more on this later)
• Very long and large molecule so carries an immense amount of genetic information
• Helix makes it coiled and so compact
• By having the base pairs inside the phosphate sugar backbone of the helix, the
genetic information is to some extent protected from outside chemical or physical
forces
• 3.2 billion base pairs mean that there are infinite combinations, providing massive
diversity.
Specification
 What is RNA?
• In all living cells, DNA holds genetic information and RNA transfers
genetic information from DNA to the ribosomes outside of the
nucleus.

• RNA is also a polynucleotide however it is a single, relatively short

polynucleotide chain.
Blurt! With a twist!
1. Without a pen or notes – discuss with a partner what you remember from
last lesson about DNA structure – 2 minutes

2. On your own, no notes – write/draw what you remember – 2 minutes

3. On your own – use the textbook/ppt/notes to add more detail – 2 minutes

Admin
• All RP1 booklets in?
• Enzymes and DNA homework – due first week back (Friday 3rd Nov)
• October half term independent study tasks – on LZ and assignment
will be live on Teams Friday 13th – due first week back
• In class assessments return – at home, complete the feedback form
and upload an image of it to the ‘Formal Assessment Upload’ page on
LearnZone (Teams assignment set up)
• Next Formal Assessment is 9th November – be ready!
Types of RNA
• Messenger RNA – mRNA
• Transfer RNA – tRNA
• Ribosomal RNA - rRNA
Video which shows the function of the 3 different types of RNA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG7uCskUOrA
mRNA – messenger RNA

• A single stranded copy of one gene of the DNA

• The mRNA takes the copy of the gene out of

the nucleus to the ribosome where it is used
for protein synthesis

• Why doesn’t the whole DNA molecule just

move out to the ribosome?
tRNA – transfer RNA
• Single stranded molecule that folds using
complimentary base pairing.

• Acceptor stem attaches to an amino acid.

• The tRNA carries an amino acid to the ribosome to

be made into a protein.

• The anticodon is complementary to a mRNA codon

• How many different tRNA molecules do we need?

rRNA – ribosomal RNA

• Single stranded molecule that folds

using complementary base pairing

• The rRNA forms part of the ribosomal

structure

• What is the function of the ribosome?

The structure of RNA
• The pentose sugar is ribose NOT deoxyribose
Bases of RNA
• The base thymine is replaced by uracil (still a pyrimidine base which
pairs with adenine)
 RNA vs DNA

RNA DNA
• Single strand • Double stranded
• Short • Long
• Pentose sugar is ribose • Pentose sugar is deoxyribose
• Organic bases are adenine, • Organic bases are adenine,
cytosine, guanine and uracil cytosine, guanine and thymine
Comparison table
DNA RNA
Sugar
Purine Bases

Pyrimidine Bases

Inorganic
components
Size
 Exam Practice

• Q3.Figure 1 shows one base pair of a DNA molecule.

• (a) Name part F of each nucleotide. (1)

Deoxyribose.
• (b) Scientists determined that a sample of DNA contained 18%
adenine.
• What were the percentages of thymine and guanine in this sample
of DNA? (2)
18% T and 32% G.
Exam Practice
• The diagram shows part of a DNA
molecule.

• (a) (i) DNA is a polymer. What is the

evidence from the diagram that DNA is a
polymer? (1)
Repeating units / nucleotides / monomer / molecules

• (ii) Name the parts of the diagram labelled

C, D and E. (3)
C: Hydrogen bonds, D: deoxyribose, E – phosphate group
Compare and Contrast the structure of DNA
and RNA
Classic exam question!
Specification
  Compare the structure of ADP
Phosphorylated Nucleotides and ATP

The third type of nucleotide. Do not form polynucleotides.

  Compare the structure of ADP
and ATP
Phosphorylated Nucleotides
• ADP ATP

• Pentose sugar: ribose

• Nitrogenous base: adenine
• Inorganic Phosphate
Phosphorylated  Compare the structure of ADP
and ATP
Nucleotides

• Breaking off a phosphate group provides small packets of energy

• Universal energy currency
ATP – hydrolysis to ADP
• ATP is a STORE of energy – released when bond is broken
• It is an immediate energy source, there is not a large amount stored in
the cell.
• Used directly in energy requiring reactions, energy is not lost as heat.
• Small packets of energy released (just the correct amount, no wastage)
• Easy, quick release of energy (a single hydrolysis reaction is all that is
needed)
ATP compared to glucose
• Why break down glucose in respiration and convert the energy into
the ATP bond?

• Glucose is a large molecule – lots of wasted energy!

• It would take more time and the energy is need immediately for
chemical reactions.
• More in year 13!
ATP – provides energy for….
• Metabolic processes – eg polymerisation
• Movement (muscle contraction)
• Active transport, changing the shape of proteins in the membrane
• Secretion (lysosome formation)

• ATP can also be used to phosphorylate

• The phosphate from ATP can be used to phosphorylate another molecule, making it more
reactive

• ATP resynthesis is a condensation reaction

• Equation: ADP + Pi -> ATP. It uses ATP synthase to catalyse the reaction
• Happens in respiration and photosynthesis, energy is stored in the bond