DNA and RNA are polynucleotides

• Both DNA and RNA are polynucleotides.

• They are made up of smaller molecules
called nucleotides. Nucleotide
• DNA is made of two polynucleotide strands:

Nucleotide Nucleotide Nucleotide Nucleotide Nucleotide

Nucleotide Nucleotide Nucleotide Nucleotide Nucleotide

• RNA is made of a single polynucleotide strand:

Nucleotide Nucleotide Nucleotide Nucleotide Nucleotide

AS Biology. Gnetic control of protein

structure and function
 DNA
(Deoxyribonucleic Acid)
 2. Structure of DNA

• DNA molecule
– Polymer of nucleic acids
(nucleotides)
– Nucleotide = an organic base +
a deoxyribose + a phosphate
group
– 4 different organic nitrogenous
bases Source: The University of Arizona

• Adenine (A), Guanine (G),

Thymine (T) and Cytosine (C)
Structure of
nucleotides
 Major
purine
and
pyrimidine
bases of
nucleic acids
Ribonucleotides of nucleic acids
Deoxyribonucleotides of nucleic acids
 DNA Nucleotide
Phosphate
Group

O 5
O=P-O CH2
O
O
N
Nitrogenous base
C4 C1 (A, G, C, or T)
Sugar
(deoxyribose)
C3 C2
 Phosphodiester bonds link
successive nucleotides in
nucleic acids

Some adenosine monophosphates Phosphodiester linkages in the

covalent backbone of DNA and RNA
Schematic representation of the nucleotide sequences of nucleic acids
 Watson & Crick Model of DNA
• Nucleotides • Purines—Adenine &
• Sugar—Deoxyribose Guanine
• Phosphate Group • Pyrimidines—Cytosine
• Nitrogenous Bases & Thymine
• Adenine & Thymine are • 5’ End—Phosphate side
complementary. • 3’ End—Other side
• Cytosine and Guanine
are complimentary.
 Watson & Crick proposed…
•DNA had specific pairing between the
nitrogen bases:
ADENINE – THYMINE
CYTOSINE - GUANINE

•DNA was made of 2 long stands of

nucleotides arranged in a specific way
called the “Complementary Rule”
DNA Double Helix
“Rungs of ladder”

Nitrogenous
Base (A,T,G or C)

“Legs of ladder”

Phosphate &
Sugar Backbone
 Watson & Crick Model
• DNA is composed of 2 • The complimentary
chains of nucleotides that nitrogenous bases form
form a double helix shape.
hydrogen bonds
• The two strands are
between the strands.
antiparallel.
• The backbone of the DNA • A is complimentary to T
molecule is composed of and G is complimentary
alternating phosphate to C.
groups and sugars.
DNA Model
 DNA Double Helix
5 O 3

3 O
P 5 P
5 O
1 G C 3
2
4 4
2 1
3 5
O
P P
5
T A 3
O

O
5
P 3 P
 Nitrogenous Bases
• PURINES
1. Adenine (A)
2. Guanine (G)
A or G
• PYRIMIDINES
3. Thymine (T)
4. Cytosine (C) T or C
 Chargaff’s Rule
• Adenine must pair with Thymine
• Guanine must pair with Cytosine
• Their amounts in a given DNA molecule will be about
the same.

T A G C
BASE-PAIRINGS
H-bonds

G C

T A
Base stacking: an axial view of B-DNA
AS Biology. Gnetic control of protein
structure and function
AS Biology. Gnetic control of protein
structure and function
Hydrogen-bonding patters in the base pairs defined by Watson and Crick
Watson-Crick model for the structure of DNA

X-ray diffraction
pattern of DNA
 Native DNA Forms a B-DNA Helix
• Two strands wind about each
other in a right-handed manner
• Diameter: ~20Å
• Bases per turn: 10 (~34Å)
Major
• A major and a minor groove

Minor

20Å
Complementarity of strands
in the DNA double helix
• Structure of DNA
– Established by J.D. Waston and
F.H.C. Crick in 1953
– Composed of two polynucleotide
chains twisted about a common
axis to form a double helix
– Each chain forms a right-handed
helix
– Two chains run in opposite
directions (i.e. antiparallel)
– Backbone = deoxyribose +
phosphate group
– Two chains are held together by hydrogen bond according
to the complementary base pairing (i.e. A with T, C with G)
– Each pair of organic nitrogenous bases on a chain is on the
same plane but perpendicular to the backbone
– Two consecutive organic base pairs are parallel and kept
0.34nm apart
– A complete turn of double helix comprises 3.4nm or 10
base pairs
– Diameter of the helix is 2nm
 B-DNA
23.7 A
•Sugars are in the 2’ endo
right handed helix conformation.
HO
• helical axis passes through 5' 2' BASE
base pairs O 1'
7.0 A 3' H (OH)
HO
• planes of bases are nearly
perpendicular to the helix axis. •Bases are the anti conformation.
NH2
• 3.4 A rise between base pairs
N

Wide and deep HO N O

O

OH
•Bases have a helical twist of 36º
(10.4 bases per helix turn)
Narrow and deep
• Helical pitch = 34 A
 DNA
• Functions
• 1. Storage of genetic information
• 2. Self-duplication & inheritance.
• 3. Expression of the genetic message.
• DNA’s major function is to code for proteins.
• Information is encoded in the order of the
nitrogenous bases.