Biochemistry

1/Chemistry 121
Biochemical Molecules-Nucleic Acids

Questions?

Questions
How do lipids differ from other biological
molecules?
What types of lipids are important for
membranes in brain tissue?
Double bonds in unsaturated fatty acids
are usually what?
How is chain length and saturation of fatty
acids related to their melting point?

Questions
Vitamin D is derived from what?
What do phospholipases do?
What are the five categories of steroid
hormones?
Which group of lipids is derived from a fivecarbon subunit?

Nucleic Acids

Nucleic Acids
DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)
RNA (Ribonucleic Acid)
Free nucleotides

Central Paradigm or
Dogma
DNA makes RNA makes Protein
DNA
Genes and the Genome
Nuclear vs. Organellar

RNA
Transcription
Coding & Non-coding

Protein
Translation
Multi-functional

Basic Structure of Nucleic

Acids
Nitrogenous Base
Purines
Pyrimidines

Pentose Sugar
2-deoxyribose
Ribose

Phosphate Group

Nitrogenous Bases

Nucleotide
Nomenclature

Carbohydrate moieties

Nucleotide structure

DNA
Chief function is as the master plan of us
2-deoxyribose sugar
Nitrogenous Bases
Adenine (purine)
Thymine (pyrimidine)
Guanine (purine)
Cytosine (pyrimidine)

Phosphate Group

Nucleic Acid Polymer

DNA Nitrogenous Bases

DNA base pairing

DNA Nitrogenous Bases

DNA Double Helix

DNA Major/Minor
Groove

Key Features of DNA

Right-handed
Strands run in opposite directions
Extensive hydrogen bonding across strands
Base pairing
A::T (two H-bonds)
C:::G (three H-bonds)

Base stacking (aka interactions or hydrophobic

interactions)
Structurally flexible

RNA
Multi-functional
Coding (Transcription)
Non-coding (Multi-faceted)

Ribose sugar
Nitrogenous bases
Adenine (purine)
Uracil (pyrimidine)
Guanine (purine)
Cytosine (pyrimidine)

Phosphate group

RNA vs. DNA

RNA
Coding RNA (<5%)
mRNA (messenger)

Non-coding RNA (>95%)

rRNA (ribosomal)
tRNA (transfer)
snRNA (small nuclear)
snoRNA (small nucleolar
miRNA & siRNA (micro & short interfering)

tRNA Structure

tRNA structure

Central Dogma

Genes and Gene

Expression
Genes
Gene Structure
Prokaryotes vs. Eukaryotes

What is a gene?
A DNA segment containing biological
information and hence coding for an RNA
and/or polypeptide molecule
Anatomy of a gene
Open Reading Frame
Introns vs Exons

Upstream Regulatory Sequences

Anatomy of a Gene

Prokaryotic Gene

Eukaryotic Genes

Eukaryotic Gene

Summary
DNA and RNA are linear polymers composed of
a 5-Carbon sugar, a nitrogenous base, and a
phosphate group
DNA uses adenine, guanine, thymine, and
cytosine
RNA uses adenine, guanine, uracil, and cytosine
Both DNA and RNA run 5 to 3
The DNA double helix has a major and a minor
groove that also provides sequence identity

Summary
Genes in eukaryotes have introns and
exons whereas prokaryotes are organized
into operons without introns
In eukaryotes, the genome is split between
the nucleus and the organelles
Humans have roughly 20,000 genes
The human genome has roughly 3 billion
base pairs
There are significant amounts of noncoding DNA (about 98%) in humans

High Energy
Compounds

ATP & ADP

Activation of
Carbohydrates

Questions?

Questions
What is the Central Dogma of Molecular
Biology?
What are the components of a nucleotide?
What is the structural difference between
DNA and RNA?
What are Purines?
What are Pyrimidines?

Questions
What forces stabilize the double helix of
DNA?
How many H-bonds does the G:C pair
make?
How many H-bonds does the A:T pair
make?
What percentage of RNA is coding in
humans?
What percentage of DNA is coding in
humans?

Questions
What are the functions of AMP, ADP, and
ATP?
Why is ATP considered a high-energy
compound?
What element is important for the proper
function of ATP?