Two types
- RNA
- DNA
Named by sugar differences
Penta- means "5"
Dexter means "6"; dextrose - table sugar
Ribose Deoxyribose
Ribose and Deoxyribose are 5 carbon sugars.
These sugars comprise the main difference between RNA and DNA.
"NA", Nucleic Acid, nitrogen based
4 variations of nucleic-nitrogen molecules
2 are Purines
- adenine [A]
- guanine [G]
2 are Pyrimidines
- cytosine [C]
- thymine [T] (only DNA)
- uracil [U] (only RNA
Thymine and uracil are similar
Purines
- Adenine, Guanine
Pyrimidines
- Cytosine, Thymine / Uracil
Phosphate
- interlinks the sugar
- completes the chain