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The document discusses the basic units of nucleic acids, including nitrogenous bases found in DNA and RNA, and highlights the significance of genetic engineering and recombinant DNA technology. It explains how these technologies enable the alteration of DNA to create transgenic organisms with unique traits. Additionally, it poses questions related to organic chemistry, specifically regarding alkanes and molecular versus structural formulas.

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3 views1 page

2

The document discusses the basic units of nucleic acids, including nitrogenous bases found in DNA and RNA, and highlights the significance of genetic engineering and recombinant DNA technology. It explains how these technologies enable the alteration of DNA to create transgenic organisms with unique traits. Additionally, it poses questions related to organic chemistry, specifically regarding alkanes and molecular versus structural formulas.

Uploaded by

SJ
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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132 Green Chemistry, 2nd ed

These­nitrogenous­bases­occur­in­both­DNA­and­RNA
NH2 NH2 O
H C H C N H C N
N C N C N C
C H C H
C C C C C C
O N H H N N H2 N N N
H
H Cytosine­­­­­­­­­Adenine­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Guanine H

O
O
Thymine H N C CH3
H C H
C N C
(DNA­only)
C C Uracil­(RNA
O O N H only) C C
O O N H
O P O CH2 O O
O P O CH 2
O- C C O- C
H H C
H H
H H H H
C C C C
H 2-Deoxy- ββ-D- ββ-D-Ribo- OH
ribofuranose furanose

­­Nucleotide­of­DNA­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Unit­of­RNA­polymer
­­­­­­­­­­­­Dashed­lines­show­bonds­to­next­nucleotide­unit.
Figure 5.10. Basic units of nucleic acid polymers. These units act as a code in directing reproduction and
other activities of organisms.

In recent years humans have developed the ability to alter DNA so that organisms
synthesize proteins and perform other metabolic feats that would otherwise be impossible.
Such alteration of DNA is commonly known as genetic engineering and recombinant
DNA technology. Organisms produced by recombinant DNA techniques that contain
DNA from other organisms are called transgenic organisms. The potential of this
technology to produce crops with unique characteristics, to synthesize pharmaceuticals,
and to make a variety of useful raw materials as renewable feedstocks is discussed in
later chapters.

QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS

1. What are two major reactions of alkanes?


2. What is the difference between molecular formulas and structural formulas of organic
compounds?

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