BIOCH 200

A polymer of nucleotide residues. The major nucleic acids are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). Also known as a polynucleotide.

A polymer of deoxynucleotides whose sequence of bases encodes genetic information in all living cells.

A polymer of ribonucleotides, such as messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA).

A compound consisting of a nucleoside esterified to one or more phosphate groups.  Nucleotides are the monomeric units of nucleic acids.

A compound consisting of a nitrogenous base linked to a five-carbon sugar (ribose or deoxyribose).

A nucleotide in which the pentose is 2'-deoxyribose

• 1 A substance that can accept a proton
• 2 A purine or pyrimidine component of a nucleoside, nucleotide, or nucleic acid

A derivative of the compound purine, such as the nucleotide base adenine or guanine

A derivative of the compound pyrimidine, such as the nucleotide base cytosine, uracil, or thymine

Running in the opposite directions

Base pair, the unit of length used for DNA molecules.

Kilobase pairs; 1000 base pairs

A polynucleotide consisiting of a few nucleotide residues.

The standard conformation of  double-helix DNA

The stabilizing van der Waals interactions between successive (stacked) bases in a polynucleotide.

(T_m) The midpoint temperature of the melting curve for the thermal denaturation of a macromolecule.  For a lipid, the temperature of transition from an ordered crystalline state to a more fluid state.

The loss of ordered structure in a polymer, such as the disruption of native conformation in an unfolded polypeptide or the unstacking of bases and separation of strands in a nucleic acid.

The refolding of a denatured macromolecule so as to regain its native conformation.

To allow base pairing between complementary single polynucleotide strands so that double-stranded segments form.