The chemical basis of blood-group specificity resides inthe carbohydrates displayed on the surfaces of red bloodcells. Carbohydrates have the potential for great structuraldiversity. Indeed, the structural complexity of the oligosaccharides that can be formed from four sugars is greaterthan that of the oligopeptides that can be formed from fouramino acids. What properties of carbohydrates make thisgreat structural diversity possible?
Nucleotides
It is an organic molecule made up of three basic components- a nitrogenous base, phosphate,and pentose sugar. The nucleotides are important for metabolic reactions andthe formation of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid).
Nucleic Acids
Nucleic acids are essential biomolecules present in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and viruses. They carry the genetic information for the synthesis of proteins and cellular replication. The nucleic acids are of two types: deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). The structure of all proteins and ultimately every biomolecule and cellular component is a product of information encoded in the sequence of nucleic acids. Parts of a DNA molecule containing the information needed to synthesize a protein or an RNA are genes. Nucleic acids can store and transmit genetic information from one generation to the next, fundamental to any life form.
The chemical basis of blood-group specificity resides in
the carbohydrates displayed on the surfaces of red blood
cells. Carbohydrates have the potential for great structural
diversity. Indeed, the structural complexity of the oligosaccharides that can be formed from four sugars is greater
than that of the oligopeptides that can be formed from four
amino acids. What properties of carbohydrates make this
great structural diversity possible?
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