DNA, RNA and Nucleotide Monomers
Nucleic acids deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) are the genetic material of cells. Their names are derived from the type of sugar, ribose, each contains.
For eukaryotic cells (like you, me and everything except bacteria) DNA is the genetic blueprint that exists in the cell's nucleus and which has all the instructions for the structure and function of an organism. RNA is the nucleic acid that carries out the genetic instructions and ultimately translates the genetic blueprint into protein molecules.
Nucleic acids, whether DNA or RNA, are polymers (big molecules) made of smaller monomer subunits called nucleotides.
The Energy Currency of ATP
Adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) is a multifunctional nucleotide, most important as the "molecular currency" of intracellular energy transfer. ATP transports chemical energy within cells for metabolism.
Nucleotide & Nucleic Acid Article Links
The following are article links and summaries will provide you with additional information on nucleotides and their polymers.
Nucleic Acids & Replication: Building Blocks and Synthesis of DNA and RNA
What are deoxyribonucleic and ribonucleic acid made of, and how are these big molecules of genetic information built? This article covers the basics.
Nucleic Acid Function: Genetic Replication, Transcription and Translation
Nucleic acids are the vital genetic blueprints, messengers and builders of the cellular world. This article summarizes the processes of copying DNA, transcribing DNA information into RNA molecules and translating the genetic code into proteins.
Nucleotides and Nucleic Acids: The Building Blocks of DNA, RNA and ATP
What kind of molecules are nucleotides and nucleic acids, and what are they made of? This article makes genetics accessible and describes these organic molecules in language you can understand.
What Is the Nucleotide ATP? The Energy Currency of Adenosine Triphosphate
Adenosine triphosphate is a power-packed nucleotide that our cells just can't live without. Here is a clear summary of what ATP is, how it works and how it's made.
What Is Ribonucleic Acid or RNA? Messenger (mRNA), Ribosomal (rRNA) and Transfer (tRNA)
Here’s an overview of RNA, ribonucleic acid, the genetic material that transcribes DNA's instructions and translates those instructions into the building of protein molecules.
Sources
Bauman, R. (2005) Microbiology.
Park Talaro, K. (2008) Foundations in Microbiology.
Tami Port - Tami Port is a college professor of cell and microbiology and creator of ScienceProfOnline.com, a free science education website.
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