How Cells Transmit Information and Transform with DNA and RNA

Shelley Gutierrez, RNC
Western Governors University
Student ID: 391502
Sgutie6@wgu.edu

How Cells Transmit Information and Transform with DNA and RNA All of our body cells are made up of 46 chromosomes. Each of the 46 chromosomes contains one DNA molecule. These chromosomes and proteins are found compressed in the nucleus of the cells. DNA and RNA are biological molecules that are nucleic acids. Both DNA and RNA are polymers. When polymers are linked together in DNA, they are called polynucleotides (Devlin, T. 2002). The polymers of DNA, known as nucleotides are composed of a phosphate group, 5 carbon sugar molecules, and 1 of 4 nitrogen bases. The four nitrogenous bases: adenosine, thymine, cytosine and guanine is where the genetic coding is found. DNA has twin molecules that twist together. This is known as the double helix.
The double helix bonds with sugars and phosphates to form twin Strands. Chemically the sugar phosphate bonds travel down each side of the helix in opposite directions. One strand begins at the top of the 1st phosphate connected at the sugar molecules 5th carbon and ending where the next phosphate would go with the free end at the sugar’s 3rd carbon. This results in a pattern of 5 prime and 3 prime. The opposite occurs with the other strand resulting in a pattern of 3 prime and 5 prime. (Adams, R., & Knowler, J. 1986). Once they are bonded they are now known as base pairs.
RNA and DNA both have a sugar phosphate with nucleotides type bases attached to them. RNA, although similar to DNA, has 3 differences: RNA is a single strand, it has ribose, and it also has uracil instead of thymine like DNA. The productions of proteins and DNA replication rely on RNA.
DNA is an intricate part of our cells and the need to understand how it copies itself is