NUCLEIC ACIDS

- largest and the most complex organic molecules

- Friedrich Miescher who discovered nucleic acids in 1871

• NUCLIEC ACIDS are macromolecules, found
all in cells, which precipitate in the storage,
transmission and translation of genetic
information.

• There are two types of nucleic acids, the ribose nucleic

acid (RNA) and the deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA),
which on hydrolysis yield the sugar ribose and
deoxyribose, respectively.
Nucleic acids were first isolated from the cellular
nucleus, hence the name.

Nucleic acids are macromolecules, large polymers with

molecular masses of over 100 million
 FUNCTION OF NUCLEIC ACIDS

Functions of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

-DNA is a permanent storage place for genetic
information.
-DNA controls the synthesis of RNA
(ribonucleic acid).
-The sequence of nitrogenous bases in DNA
determines the protein development in new
cells.
The function of the double helix formation of DNA
is to ensure that no disorders occur. This is because
the second identical strand of DNA that runs anti-
parallel to the first is a back up in case of lost or
destroyed genetic information. e.g. Sickle Cell
Anemia.
 Functions of RNA (Ribonucleic acid)

-RNA is synthesized by DNA for the transportation of

genetic information to the protein building apparatus
in the cell.
-RNA also directs the synthesis of new proteins using
the genetic information it has transported.
-mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) is used to transfer
genetic information through plasma membranes
• Nucleic acids (specifically DNA) carry out a vital role
in the human body.
• In particular, nucleic acids play an essential role in:
Mitosis, Meiosis

• Providing Energy / Cellular Respiration

• Mitosis – During cell division, the chromosomes (or genetic
information) contained inside the nucleus of the parent cell
is duplicated. The two resulting daughter cells have identical
genetic information to the parent cell. This is possible only
through nucleic acid’s remarkable ability to create identical
copies of itself. It is the only molecule known to have this
ability. Mitosis is essential to life because it replaces
damaged or dead cells, repairs tissues, and allows the body
to grow (in mass and size).
• Meiosis – Another use for nucleic acid’s duplication ability is
meiosis. Meiosis is the process in which sex cells are created.
Without nucleic acids, meiosis would be impossible, and so
would reproduction.
• Providing Energy – Nucleic acids can be used to create
energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate -
C10H16N5O13P3). ATP is formed with the nitrogenous bases
adenosine and ribose.
 Composition of Nucleic Acids:

• Nucleic acids are substances with high

molecular weight ranging from 1,286
3,000,000. to They are made up
of
hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, and phosphorus.
nitrogen
•Nitrogen is from 15 to 16% while phosphorus
is from 9 to 10%. On hydrolysis with either an
enzyme or by heating with dilute acids or
alkalies, nucleic acids yields a group of
compound known as nucleotides.
 Nucleic acid

Nucleotides

Phosphoric acid Nucleosides

Sugar Ribose Purine Guanine Pyrimidine base

or deoxyribose and Adenine Cytosine, uracil
or thymine
 Kinds of Nucleic Acids
DNA( deoxyribonucleic acid) –found only inside the
nucleus of the cell. Contains the organism’s genetic
information, including instructions for how to make
proteins.
RNA( ribonucleic acid) – found both inside and
outside of the nucleus. Directs the building of proteins.
-primarily concerned with the synthesis of
protein.
POLYPEPTIDES are the building blocks of nucleic
acids.
 DNA
•Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that
contains the genetic instructions used in the
development and functioning of all known
living organisms. The main role of DNA
molecules is the long-term storage of
information and DNA is often compared to a set
of blueprints, since it contains the
instructions needed to construct other
components of cells, such as proteins and RNA
molecules.
• The DNA segments that carry this
genetic information are called genes,
but other DNA sequences
have structural purposes, or are
involved in regulating the use of
this genetic information.
• Deoxyribose is present in the nucleic acid
found in the yeast cell nuclei, while ribose is
contained in the nucleic acid obtained from
pancreas.
– There are cases also were both of nucleic acids
are found together. So that it is now definitely
accepted that both the ribose and deoxyribose
nucleic acids are found in plants and animals;
and that while the deoxyribose type is found in
the nucleic of the cells (white) the ribose type
predominate in the cytoplasm
Some amount of DNA are also housed in the cell’s
mitochondria, whose main function is to generate
the energy needed for the cell functioning, it
couldn’t be in the cell wall, because human cells
are bound by membrane and lack the cell walls
that plants have.
There are DNA viruses, like herpes but some of the
most prevalent, like the common cold or influenza,
as well as other well-known viruses like hepatitis C
and are RNA viruses.
 RNA
• Ribonucleic acid (RNA) functions in
genetic information from genes into the amino acid
converting
sequences of proteins. The three universal types of
RNA include transfer RNA (tRNA), messenger
RNA (mRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA).
Messenger RNA acts to carry genetic sequence
information between DNA and ribosomes,
directing protein synthesis. Ribosomal RNA is a
major component of the ribosome, and catalyzes
peptide bond formation.
• Transfer RNA serves as the carrier
molecule for amino acids to be used in
protein synthesis, and is responsible for
decoding the mRNA. In addition, many
other classes of RNA are now known.
• Ribonucleic acid is found only in plants while
the deoxyribonucleic acid is exclusive of
animal products
 Properties of Nucleic Acids:

• Nucleic acids are insoluble in alcohol, slightly

soluble in cold water, but readily dissolved in
hot water and dilute alkalies, forming alkali
salts. They are precipitated by HCL and by
excess of acetic acid.
• Feulgen Test differentiates the DNA from
RNA, if the deoxyribose sugar is present, a
red color is produced with the dye. Ribose
sugar do not exhibit this reaction.
Hydrolysis of nucleic acids gives nucleotide,
which can be considered the units that
make up the polymer. A nucleotide consists
of three parts:
• Heterocyclic base
• Sugar
• Phosphoric acids
 Sugar
The sugar in nucleotide, and so in nucleic acids , is
a PENTOSE. In RNA and its nucleotide the sugar
is RIBOSE, whereas in DNA and its nucleotide it
is DEOXYRIBOSE. The prefix deoxy - means
“without oxygen” .
Nucleotides can be hydrolyzed to yield nucleosides
and phosphoric acid.
 THE PYRIMIDINES
Pyrimidines is a six-membered heterocyclic
ring containing two nitrogen atom. Three
important derivatives of Pyrimidine found
in nucleic acids are thymine(2,4-dioxy-5-
methylpyrimidine), cytosine(2-oxy-4-
aminopyrimidine), and Uracil(2,4-
dioxypyrimidines).
Other important compound containing
Pyrimidines are thiamin (vitamin B one).
DNA are very long molecules with specific sequence
of the for principal bases
Adenine,Thymine,Guanine,Cytosine- A,T,G,C.
The two chains of the helix are coiled to allow
the proper hydrogen bonding. They are
complementary in terms of appropriate pairing, A to
T and C to G.
RNA

Ribonucleic acid, or RNA, gets its name from the sugar group
in the molecule's backbone - ribose. Several important
similarities and differences exist between RNA and DNA.
Like DNA, RNA has a sugar-phosphate backbone
with nucleotide bases attached to it. Like DNA, RNA
contains the bases adenine (A), cytosine (C), and guanine
(G); however, RNA does not contain thymine, instead,
RNA's fourth nucleotide is the base uracil (U)
DNA BASES
DNA STRUCTURE
 Properties of Nucleoprotein:

• Nucleoproteins are frankly acidic and

soluble in alkaliesare
with which they form salt.
They precipitated from their solutions
acetic acid -- are redissolvedbyby dilute
HCL. They are not coagulated by -- but
exhibit the precipitation and color reactions
characteristic of protein substances.
Nucleotides and Nucleosides

• Nucleotides are the building blocks of all nucleic acids.

Nucleotides have a distinctive structure composed of three
components covalently bound together:
• a nitrogen-containing "base" - either a pyrimidine (one ring) or
purine (two rings)
• a 5-carbon sugar - ribose or deoxyribose
• a phosphate group