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Chapter 28: Problem 11

Explain the difference in structure between a nucleoside and a nucleotide.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: The key structural difference between a nucleoside and a nucleotide is the presence of a phosphate group. A nucleoside consists of a nucleobase and a pentose sugar, while a nucleotide includes a phosphate group in addition to the nucleoside (nucleobase and pentose sugar).

Step by step solution

01

Definition of a Nucleoside

A nucleoside is an organic molecule composed of a nucleobase (either a purine or pyrimidine) and a pentose sugar (either ribose or deoxyribose). The nucleobase is attached to the 1' carbon atom of the pentose sugar. The two major types of nucleosides are ribonucleosides, which have a ribose sugar, and deoxyribonucleosides, which have a deoxyribose sugar.
02

Definition of a Nucleotide

A nucleotide is an organic molecule consisting of three components: a nucleoside (explained above), a phosphate group, and a sugar molecule. The phosphate group is attached to the 5' carbon atom of the pentose sugar. Nucleotides serve as the building blocks of nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA.
03

The Difference in Structure

The primary structural difference between a nucleoside and a nucleotide is the presence of the phosphate group. A nucleoside consists of just a nucleobase and a pentose sugar, while a nucleotide includes a phosphate group in addition to the nucleoside (nucleobase and pentose sugar).

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Most popular questions from this chapter

List the postulates of the Watson-Crick model of DNA secondary structure.

Nucleosides are stable in water and in dilute base. In dilute acid, however, the glycosidic bond of a nucleoside undergoes hydrolysis to give a pentose and a heterocyclic aromatic amine base. Propose a mechanism for this acid- catalyzed hydrolysis.

Name the type of covalent bond(s) joining monomers in these biopolymers. (a) Polysaccharides (b) Polypeptides (c) Nucleic acids

In HbS, the human hemoglobin found in individuals with sickle-cell anemia, glutamic acid at position 6 in the beta chain is replaced by valine. (a) List the two codons for glutamic acid and the four codons for valine. (b) Show that one of the glutamic acid codons can be converted to a valine codon by a single substitution mutation, that is by changing one letter in one codon.

Draw a structural formula for each nucleotide, and estimate its net charge at \(\mathrm{pH} 7.4\), the \(\mathrm{pH}\) of blood plasma. (a) \(2^{\prime}\)-Deoxyadenosine \(5^{\prime}\)-triphosphate (dATP) (b) Guanosine \(3^{\prime}\)-monophosphate (GMP) (c) \(2^{\prime}\)-Deoxyguanosine \(5^{\prime}\)-diphosphate (dGDP)
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