Nucleic Acid

Nucleic acids are polymers that can

serve as the blueprints for proteins
There are 2 types of nucleic acids:
1) DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
2) RNA (ribonucleic acid)
The genetic material that the
organisms inherit from their parent
consists of DNA
Genes are specific stretches of a DNA
molecules that program the amino
acid sequences of primary structure
of proteins
Thus, DNA controls the life of the cell
and the organism
DNA does not put its genetic
information directly, but it works
through an intermediary, the RNA
DNA’s information is transcribed into
RNA, which is then translated into
primary structure of proteins
 Nucleic Acid in DNA Double-Helix
One nucleotide
monomer containing:
1) Phosphate
2) Ribose sugar
3) Nitrogenous base

DNA
double-helix
containing
polynucleotide
series of polymers
Nucleic Acids in DNA Double-Helix
DNA double-helix containing
polynucleotide polymer
 Nucleotide and Polynucleotide
The monomers that make up nucleic
acids are called nucleotides
Each nucleotide has 3 parts:
1) 5 carbon sugar: DNA has the sugar
deoxyribose, whereas RNA has the
ribose sugar
2) Phosphate group
3) Nitrogenous base: DNA has
nitrogenous bases adenine (A), 5 types of nucleic acid
thymine (T), cytosine (C) and
guanine (G). RNA has A, C, G and
uracil (U) (instead of thymine)
)Like polysaccharides and
polypeptides, a nucleic polymer is a
polynucleotide
)RNA usually consists of a single
polynucleotide strand, but DNA is
double-helix, in which 2
polynucleotide wrap round each
other
 Principle Biological Molecules

1) Carbohydrate

2) Lipid

3) Protein

4) Nucleic acid
Monomer and Polymer Structures
Virus Diversity
Bacteriophage: Bacterial Virus
Bacteriophage: A DNA virus

DNA
 DNA and RNA Virus
DNA
RNA DNA

RNA
Bacteriophage: Bacterial Virus
Bacteriophage: A DNA virus

Head

Capsid DNA

Neck

Tail

Base plate

Tail fiber
Multiplication of Virus
 Virus Infection in Bacteria

Bacterial DNA

Infection of Viral
DNA

Insertion of Viral DNA

into bacterial DNA
Viral Infection and Invasion into
Bacteria
Lytic cycle
 Two type of Life Cycles
Lytic cycle Lysogenic cycle
Lytic and Lysogenic Life Cycle
 Lytic and Lysogenic Life Cycle
Lytic cycle
Bacteriophage virus attaches to a
receptor sites on a bacterium
The virus injects its nucleic acid into
the host cell, while its protein capsid is
left outside the cell
Next, the virus genes take over and
control cellular processes and direct
the bacterium (host) to produce virus
“parts” that will be used to assemble
whole viruses
After the manufacture, these strands of
nucleic acid and proteins are
assembled into mature virus that lyse
(break) the host cell
Each bacterium releases many virus
particles. Each new virus is capable of
infecting another bacterial cell
Lysogenic cycle
2a) Some virus, instead of killing the
host cells, integrate their genetic
materials with that of the host
2b) Then, each time the host cells
reproduces, the virus nucleic acid
is replicated as if it were a part of
the cell’s genetic makeup
2c) In this way, the virus is passed on
from to cell
2d) The integrated virus genes may not
cause any change in the host for
long time. Then triggered by an
appropriated stimulus, the phage
may enter the lytic cycle and
produce symptoms
Lytic and Lysogenic Life Cycle
Lytic and Lysogenic Life Cycle
Structure of Flue Virus

RNA
Infection of Flue Virus

RNA
 Structure of AID Virus
Glycoprotein 41 Glycoprotein 41

Protein 24

RNA
 Structure of AID Virus

RNA
Infection of Human Immunodeficiency
Virus (HIV)

RNA
Infection of German Measles (Rubella)

DNA
 Plant Viruses

Tobacco mosaic Tobacco mosaic

virus virus (necrotic
(mosaic on leaves) on leaves) Virus on petal of tulip flower
(variation in tulip flowers)
 Plant Viruses

Virus on pepper
leaves
(mosaic virus)

Virus on petal of tulip flower Virus on pepper leaves

 Plant Viruses
Potato spindle Chrysantimum Avacado sunblotch
tuber virus stunt virus virus
(malformed shape of (yellow blotches on (white stripe on fruits)
potato) leaves)
s uri v se pr e H s uri v az ne ul f nI
Plant Viruses

Rhabdovirus
on orchid leaf

uri v odba h R f o sl at e p no s uri V

e wol f di hcr O r e wol f pil ut
Animal Viruses
Human Viruses
 Human Viruses
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) Human papiliovirus