What are Nucleic Acids? Nucleic Acid Structure & Function

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Nucleic Acids are possibly the most underrated macromolecule known to man. They are the monomers of RNA and DNA, and without them, our cells would struggle...

Image Credit: OpenStax Biology

Thanks for stopping by, this is 2 minute classroom and today we’re talking about nucleic acids.

You may have heard about nucleic acids when talking about DNA or RNA because the “NA literally stands for “nucleic acid” This is where genetic information is stored and allows cells to produce all the necessary protein structures in living organisms.

I’m going to introduce the basic structure of nucleic acids first, and then talk about the variations for structure and how that relates to their function.

Monomers of nucleic acids are called nucleotides, these are the basics units of nucleic acids that bond together to form RNA and DNA.

All nucleotides are made up of three main components. A phosphate group, a sugar, and a nitrogenous base. In RNA and DNA, the phosphate group is the same, but they have slightly different sugars. In RNA, the sugar is ribose, and in DNA, the sugar is also a ribose, but with one less oxygen. Hence, RNA is ribonucleic acid, and DNA is Deoxyribonucleic acid. Because the ribose has been deoxygenated.

Finally, we have the nitrogenous base, and if you have studied DNA at all, you probably remember these. The nitrogenous bases in DNA are Guanine, Adenine, Cytosine, and Thymine. RNA also has Guanine, Adenine, and Cytosine, but instead of Thymine, RNA contains Uracil.

The phosphate of nucleic acids bond together to form long polynucleotide chains, like RNA and DNA. The nitrogenous bases can form weaker hydrogen bonds as they do between two strands of DNA. This bonding gives DNA its helical structure and allows it to perform many important functions.

Nucleic acids are an underrated macromolecule in my opinion. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats seem to get all the attention, but nucleic acids store all the genetic information for your cells, without them, your body wouldn’t build the necessary machinery to carry out all cellular functions.

I hope this video answered any questions you had. If you still have some, I love to reply to my comments, so send additional questions there. You should also check out my video on DNA vs RNA, which goes into more detail. Don’t forget to smash that like button and subscribe for more quality content.

I’ll catch you next time.