Question

Compare and contrast proteins and necleic acids in terms of their structures in your body.

Answer 1

Nucleic acids are synthesized from a nitrogenous base (purines, pyrimidines), a molecule of sugar, either ribose or deoxyribose, and an inorganic phosphate as the polymer of RNA or DNA.

Nucleic acids are the basis of inheritance in all organisms. DNA helical strands are the basis of the continuity of inheritance between generations and species. Nontranslated nucleic acids (tRNA, ribosomal RNAs, small interfering RNA, microRNA, piRNA) are involved in translation of mRNA to produce proteins and other functions. The purine nucleotide ATP (adenosinetriphosphate) is a multifunctional compound essential for accepting and storing metabolic energy. This same ATP is one of the monomers used in the synthesis of RNA or it is reduced to the deoxyribonucleotide dATP (deoxy-adenosinetriphosphate) before incorporation into DNA.


Proteins are made up of amino acids monomers. An amino acid has at least two carbon atoms in a short chain. One carbon atom is the center of a carboxyl group, the other one bears a nitrogen bearing amino group and a radical group, or side chain, that distinguishes one amino acid from the next. When the essential amino acids hook up in a chain they form a protein.
Protein functions
1. Catalytic enzymes produce metabolic pathways: synthases, mutases, dehydrogenases, proteases.
2. Structural as cytoskeletal fibers (actin, tubulin) or connective as collagen, elastin & keratin..
3. Regulatory: sequence binding to regulate gene expression; cell signaling to regulate cellular metabolic reactions; defensive as antibodies or restriction enzymes.


Proteins and nucleic acids both have a backbone and are formed by condensation reactions. Both are polymers built up from several different monomers.