DNA Structure and Cell Types
This section introduces the fundamental differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells, focusing on their DNA organization and cellular structures.
Eukaryotes have their DNA enclosed within a nucleus, while prokaryotes bacteriaandarchaea have their DNA located in the nucleoid region without a membrane envelope. Prokaryotic chromosomes are typically smaller and circular compared to the larger, linear chromosomes found in eukaryotes.
The guide also introduces the central dogma of molecular biology, which describes the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to proteins. Various types of RNA are mentioned, including:
- rRNA: Structural components of ribosomes
- tRNA: Responsible for bringing amino acids to ribosomes during protein synthesis
- miRNA: Regulators of other genes
Definition: The central dogma of molecular biology describes the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA transcription and from RNA to proteins translation.
The structure of nucleotides, the building blocks of DNA and RNA, is explained in detail. Nucleotides consist of a nitrogenous base, a 5-carbon sugar, and a phosphate group. The guide distinguishes between the two types of nitrogenous bases:
- Purines AdenineandGuanine: Have two fused carbon-nitrogen rings
- Pyrimidines Cytosine,Thymine,andUracil: Have one carbon-nitrogen ring
Highlight: DNA contains the sugar deoxyribose, while RNA contains ribose. RNA uses uracil instead of thymine found in DNA.
The section concludes by discussing the directionality of DNA strands, Chargaff's Rule, and the antiparallel structure of the DNA double helix.
Vocabulary: Chargaff's Rule states that in DNA, the amount of adenine A always equals the amount of thymine T, and the amount of guanine G always equals the amount of cytosine C.