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DNA Structure definitions

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  • Deoxyribose
    A five-carbon sugar in DNA lacking an oxygen atom at the 2' carbon, distinguishing it from RNA's ribose.
  • Phosphate Group
    A molecular component of DNA that links sugars of adjacent nucleotides, forming the backbone of the strand.
  • Nitrogenous Base
    A ring-shaped molecule in DNA that encodes genetic information and forms specific pairs via hydrogen bonds.
  • Nucleotide
    A DNA building block composed of a phosphate, a sugar, and a nitrogenous base, essential for strand formation.
  • Nucleoside
    A molecule consisting of a nitrogenous base attached to a sugar, lacking a phosphate group.
  • Purine
    A double-ringed nitrogenous base found in DNA, specifically adenine or guanine, pairing with pyrimidines.
  • Pyrimidine
    A single-ringed nitrogenous base in DNA, including cytosine and thymine, always pairing with purines.
  • Phosphodiester Bond
    A covalent linkage connecting the sugar of one nucleotide to the phosphate of the next in a DNA strand.
  • Hydrogen Bond
    A weak interaction stabilizing DNA by connecting complementary nitrogenous bases between strands.
  • Double Helix
    A twisted ladder-like structure formed by two antiparallel DNA strands held together by hydrogen bonds.
  • Antiparallel Strands
    Two DNA chains running in opposite 5' to 3' and 3' to 5' directions, enabling proper base pairing.
  • Major Groove
    A wider region in the DNA double helix where more base pair interactions are accessible.
  • Minor Groove
    A narrower region in the DNA double helix with fewer accessible base pair interactions.
  • Chargaff's Rules
    A principle stating that adenine pairs with thymine and cytosine pairs with guanine in equal ratios.