Objectives
CH 106 - Lesson 9
Nucleic Acids
Purpose:
To provide an understanding of the structure and function of nucleic acids.
Objectives: You have completed this lesson when you are able to:
1. Describe the bonding arrangement of the base, sugar, and phosphate in a
mono-nucleotide unit.
2. Describe the structure and function of the so-called high energy nucleotides.
3. Describe how individual mononucleotide units form a single strand of polynucleotide
and how two single strands are joined in a double helix. Know which bases form hydrogen
bonds to one another in the double helix.
4. Describe the difference between the compositions, structures and functions of DNA
and RNA.
5. Define replication and describe how it is directed by the hydrogen bonding in the
DNA double helix.
6. Describe, in general terms, how DNA governs cell behavior.
7. Use a genetic code table to determine the amino acid sequence dictated by a section
of a nucleic acid strand.
8. Define gene and describe its relationship to DNA.
9. Describe the processes of transcription and translation.
10. Describe the technique of genetic engineering and give an example of its use. Be
able to discuss potential problems, both practical and ethical, with genetic engineering.
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E-mail instructor:
Sue Eggling
Clackamas Community College
©2001, 2003 Clackamas Community College, Hal Bender
