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Chapter 28: Problem 28

Compare DNA and RNA is these ways. (a) Monosaccharide units (b) Principal purine and pyrimidine bases (c) Primary structure (d) Location in the cell (e) Function in the cell

Short Answer

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Question: Compare DNA and RNA in terms of (a) monosaccharide units, (b) principal purine and pyrimidine bases, (c) primary structure, (d) location in the cell, and (e) function in the cell. Answer: (a) DNA's monosaccharide unit is deoxyribose sugar, while RNA's is ribose sugar. (b) DNA contains adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine, while RNA contains adenine, guanine, cytosine, and uracil. (c) DNA's primary structure is double-stranded, while RNA is single-stranded. (d) DNA is primarily located in the nucleus, whereas RNA is found in both the nucleus and cytoplasm. (e) DNA carries genetic information, while RNA plays various roles such as mRNA (carrying information), tRNA (transferring amino acids), and rRNA (structural support and catalyzing peptide bond formation).

Step by step solution

01

(a) Monosaccharide units

DNA and RNA are both nucleic acids, which are composed of monomeric units called nucleotides. Each nucleotide consists of a monosaccharide unit, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. The monosaccharide units for DNA and RNA are slightly different: DNA has a deoxyribose sugar, while RNA has a ribose sugar. The main difference between these two sugars is that the deoxyribose sugar (in DNA) lacks an oxygen atom at the 2' carbon position that is present in the ribose sugar (in RNA).
02

(b) Principal purine and pyrimidine bases

The nitrogenous bases present in DNA and RNA are classified into purines and pyrimidines. The principal purine bases are adenine (A) and guanine (G) in both DNA and RNA. The principal pyrimidine bases are cytosine (C) and thymine (T) in DNA, while in RNA, thymine is replaced by uracil (U). In other words, DNA contains A, G, C, and T as its bases, whereas RNA contains A, G, C, and U.
03

(c) Primary structure

The primary structure of a nucleic acid refers to the sequence of nucleotides. In both DNA and RNA, the primary structure is formed by the covalent linkage of nucleotides via phosphodiester bonds. In these bonds, the phosphate group of one nucleotide is linked to the 3' carbon of the adjacent nucleotide's sugar molecule. This creates a sugar-phosphate backbone with the nitrogenous bases pointing outwards. The primary structure of DNA is generally double-stranded, forming a double helix, while RNA usually exists as a single-stranded molecule that can fold into various secondary structures.
04

(d) Location in the cell

DNA is primarily located in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells, while RNA can be found in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. In prokaryotic cells, which lack a nucleus, both DNA and RNA are found in the cytoplasm. In some cases, DNA can also be found in cell organelles such as mitochondria and chloroplasts (in plants).
05

(e) Function in the cell

DNA is the carrier of genetic information and is responsible for the transmission of genetic traits from one generation to the next. It serves as the template for RNA synthesis during transcription. RNA, on the other hand, plays several roles in the cell. The three major types of RNA are messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). mRNA carries genetic information from the DNA to the ribosomes, where proteins are synthesized. tRNA plays a crucial role in protein synthesis by transferring specific amino acids to the growing polypeptide chain. rRNA is a major component of ribosomes, providing structural support and catalyzing peptide bond formation.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

The following section of DNA codes for oxytocin, a polypeptide hormone. $$ \text { 3'ACG-ATA-TAA-GTT-TTA-ACG-GGA-GAA-CCA-ACT-5' } $$ (a) Write the base sequence of the mRNA synthesized from this section of DNA. (b) Given the sequence of bases in part (a), write the primary structure of oxytocin.

Compare the \(\alpha\)-helix of proteins and the double helix of DNA in these ways. (a) The units that repeat in the backbone of the polymer chain. (b) The projection in space of substituents along the backbone (the \(R\) groups in the case of amino acids; purine and pyrimidine bases in the case of double- stranded DNA) relative to the axis of the helix.

In terms of hydrogen bonding, which is more stable, an \(A-T\) base pair or a \(G-C\) base pair?

Write the mRNA complement for \(5^{\prime}\)-ACCGTTAAT-3'. Be certain to label which is the \(5^{\prime}\) end and which is the \(3^{\prime}\) end of the mRNA strand.

Glycine, alanine, and valine are classified as nonpolar amino acids. Compare their codons. What similarities do you find? What differences do you find?
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