Chapter 26.2, Problem 26.2P

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation:

The molecular formulae for D-ribose and 2-deoxy-D-ribose, the difference in composition of both and chemical property that differs between the two has to be given.

Concept Introduction:

Composition of nucleic acid: Nucleic acid is a polymer of nucleotides. Each nucleotide has three parts: a sugar, a nitrogenous base, and a phosphate group.

Sugar: In both DNA and RNA, sugar portion is found. In DNA, the sugar is D-ribose, where at 2’hydroxyl group is absent and in RNA, the hydroxyl group is present at 2’ carbon.

Numbering the atoms in sugar and base rings:

In order to distinguish the atoms in the sugar of a nucleoside and atoms of a base ring, numbers without prime is used for atoms in the base ring and numbers with prime used for the atoms in the sugar ring.