Discuss the structures of nucleic acid.

Answer 1

Nucleic acids are macromolecules that are essential for storing and transmitting genetic information in living organisms. There are two main types of nucleic acids: deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA).

DNA is a double-stranded molecule that is made up of nucleotides, which consist of a phosphate group, a sugar molecule (deoxyribose in the case of DNA), and a nitrogenous base. The nitrogenous bases in DNA are adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C), and guanine (G). The two DNA strands are held together by hydrogen bonds between complementary base pairs (A-T and C-G). The structure of DNA is often described as a twisted ladder, with the sugar-phosphate backbone forming the sides and the nitrogenous bases forming the rungs.

RNA is typically a single-stranded molecule that is also made up of nucleotides, but it contains ribose instead of deoxyribose in its sugar molecule. The nitrogenous bases in RNA are adenine (A), uracil (U), cytosine (C), and guanine (G). RNA plays a key role in protein synthesis and gene regulation in cells.

Both DNA and RNA have a similar structure overall, with the main difference being the type of sugar in their nucleotides. These nucleic acids are essential for the storage, expression, and transmission of genetic information in all living organisms.