The sugar and phosphate molecules that form the sugar-phosphate backbone of the molecule are hydrophilic, which means they are water-loving and have an affinity for water. Change the settings for the Nucleotide backbone to show: Complete, Ball and Stick, and Element, as shown in the Style Options window above. To see the backbones more clearly, open the Style menu. Since the cell cytoplasm and cytosol contain water-based liquids, the nitrogenous bases want to avoid contact with cell fluids. The backbone of each DNA strand is made of sugar residues that are held together with phosphodiester bonds. These nitrogenous bases are hydrophobic, meaning that they lack an affinity for water. Adenine is bonded with thymine (A-T) and guanine pairs with cytosine (G-C). The nitrogenous bases that comprise the steps of the twisted staircase are held together by hydrogen bonds. The twisting aspect of DNA is a result of interactions between the molecules that make up DNA and water. Maurice Wilkins all played pivotal roles in elucidating the structure of DNA.ĭNA is coiled into chromosomes and tightly packed in the nucleus of our cells. Each strand in the duplex DNA precursor contains an internal run of eight guanines, which creates a region of guanine-guanine mismatches, plus one segment that extends past the duplex region to create a single-stranded overhang. The deoxyribose sugars are joined at both the 3-hydroxyl and 5-hydroxyl groups to phosphate groups in ester links, also known as 'phosphodiester' bonds.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |