INFORMATIONAL BIO-MOLECULES

BIO-MOLECULES

Monomers Condensation Polymers

(sub-units) (Macro-molecules)
Hydrolysis

Simple sugars Polysaccharides

Fatty acids Lipids
Amino acids Proteins
Nucleotides Nucleic acids

DNA
Nucleic Acids
Informational RNA
carry, transfer, express
Proteins
Bio-Polymers genetic information

Non-Informational Polysaccharides, Lipids

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 Nucleic Acids

¾ They are polymers of nucleotides

¾ Include DNA & RNA

¾ A nucleotide contains: . Pentose Sugar (has 5 C)

. Nitrogenous Base
. Phosphate group(s)

A Nucleotide is a Nucleoside Phosphate

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DNA and RNA structures

RNA contains the pyrimidine uracil (U) in place of thymine (T)

Structure RNA DNA

Nucleotide

Nucleoside

Pentose Sugar Ribose Deoxyribose

Nitrogenous bases A C G U A C G T

Phosphate group(s) 1, 2 or 3 1, 2 or 3

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 DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID (DNA)

Phospho-Di-Ester bond

• DNA stores the genetic information

• It contains two complementary polynucleotide strands

• Nucleotides of a strand bind by phospho-di-ester bonds
• The two strands form a regular double helix with the bases inside

• Purines bond with pyrimidines: (A pairs with T) & (G pairs with C)

• Strands are anti-parallel (one runs 5' to 3' & one runs 3' to 5') 4
 RIBONUCLEIC ACID (RNA)

• Contains the pyrimidine (U) but not (T)

• Normally single-stranded

• Synthesized from DNA templates

• Types of RNA: 1. Messenger RNA (mRNA): translated into proteins

2. Transfer RNA (tRNA): carries amino acids for translation

3. Ribosomal RNA (rRNA): component of the ribosome

(the most abundant type)

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 Denaturation & Renaturation of DNA

Denaturation

(separation of the 2 DNA strands)

Biologically Physically Chemically

(By Enzymes) (Heat to 90ºC) (Alkaline pH)

 Genetic Elements

Properties : Carry Genetic Information & Self Replicate

Chromosomal
Types:
Non-Chromosomal: include:

1. Viruses: Sub-cellular infectious particles

2. Plasmids: Typically a circular double-stranded (ds) non-essential DNA

molecule

3. Transposons: DNA sequences that can move to different positions within

chromosomes of a cell (transposition)

Contain circular ds DNA

4. Mitochondria: (For Respiration) chromosomes

5. Chloroplasts: (For Photosynthesis) Believed to have evolved from

bacteria that formed a symbiotic
relationship with eukaryotic cells
Chromosomes: From DNA to Chromosomes

A Nucleosome A Chromosome

Coiling of the DNA molecule

DNA winds • Condensed eukaryotic chromosome
twice around a
histone protein • Shown at initial cell division stages
• Formed of two sister Chromatids
• Each chromatid has a linear ds DNA
Viruses

¾ A virus is a genetic elements enclosed by a protective coat

¾ Can move from one cell to another (mobile genetic element)

¾ Plasmids and transposons are similar to viruses but lack coats

¾ Provirus: A viral chromosomes integrated into a host chromosome

¾ Temperate viruses: Viruses that can form proviruses 9

Plasmids

1. Circular double stranded mobile genetic elements

2. Carry genes for accessory traits

3. Usually confer antibiotic resistance

4. Plasmid size: 1 - 250 kbp.

5. Plasmid copy number per cell: 1 - 100

6. Occur in bacteria & in some eukaryotes (e.g. yeasts)

7. Applications: used for multiplication & expression of particular genes

8. Episomes: - plasmids that can integrate

themselves into host chromosomes

- Duplicated with every cell division

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 Transposons

• Mobile segments of DNA "jumping genes".

• They may cause mutations

Transposon

Transposition
Transposons in Bacteria
• Some transposons in bacteria carry antibiotic resistance gene(s).
• If a transposon is incorporated in a plasmid, it can move to another cell.
• This causes a rapid spreading of antibiotic resistance. 11
Organelle genetic elements

¾ Mitochondria and chloroplasts are the main energy converters in the cell

¾ Each mitochondrion and chloroplast contains a circular chromosome

¾ Have 70 S ribosomes (resemble bacterial ribosomes)

¾ They do not contain introns

¾ Believed to have evolved from bacteria that formed symbiotic relationship

¾ They contain proteins that are coded by nuclear genes

¾ Most Mitochondrial DNA is inherited from egg cells rather than sperm

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Keywords:
1. ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) 17. Nucleosome
2. Chromatid 18. Nucleotide
3. Chromatin 19. Phosphodiester bond
4. Chromosome 20. Plasmid
5. Denaturation 21. Polymer
6. Deoxyribonucleoside 22. Protein
7. Deoxyribonucleotide 23. Purines
8. DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) 24. Pyrimidines
9. Genetic element 25. Ribonucleoside
10. Histone 26. Ribonucleotide
11. Informational macromolecules 27. Ribosomal RNA
12. Messenger RNA 28. RNA (Ribonucleic acid)
13. Monomer 29. Transfer RNA
14. Nitrogenous base 30. Transposition
15. Nucleic acid 31. Transposon
16. Nucleoside 32. Episome
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