Structure of DNA and RNA

carries genetic material

hereditary material responsible for passing genetic information from cell to cell and generation to generation

A double helix made out of nucleotides that form two long stands and are held together by hydrogen bonds -Contains a pentose sugar that is deoxyribose and a base (A,T,G,C)

-a stable molecule which normally passes on genetic material without significant change -it’s two separate strands that are joined only with hydrogen bonds which allow them to separate during DNA replication -its an extremely large molecule that allows it to carry an immense amount of genetic information

phosphate, pentose sugar, base

adenine, thymine, guanine, cytosine

A-T and G-C

-the 4 types of nucleotide must be present -both strands of DNA act as a template -The enzyme DNA polymerase -A source of chemical energy is required to drive the process

• section of DNA • DNA helixcase breaks the H bonds between bases • free nucleotides bind to complementary bases • DNA polymerase builds polynucleotides by forming phosphodiester bonds • 2 new polynucleotides chains have formed. Each strand has half the original genetic material

A polymer made of nucleotides, it’s a single, relatively short polynucleotide chain

Thymine is replaced with uracil