Nucleic Acids and Chromatin

What this unit covers

This unit sits in the Structure and Function of Biomolecules strand of Biochemistry. It starts with the building blocks of nucleic acids and moves toward how DNA is copied, repaired and packaged in the nucleus.

• Components: bases, sugars and phosphates, purines and pyrimidines, nucleosides and nucleotides.
• Structure: phosphodiester bonds, the DNA double helix, and how DNA and RNA differ.
• Processes: DNA replication, DNA mutation and repair, and the flow of genetic information.
• Chromatin: histones, DNA packaging and genome organization.

Where to start

Begin with the mind map Structure and Properties of Nucleic Acids. It lays out components, binding forces, DNA and RNA on one page, so you see the whole topic before the details. Then open the mind map Base, which breaks down adenine and guanine, the pyrimidines, and the names of the matching nucleosides and nucleotides.

Next, work through the flashcards. The Nucleotides deck and the Purines and pyrimidines deck drill the vocabulary that every later topic depends on. A lecture-style deck on nucleic acids asks what a nucleobase, a nucleoside and a nucleotide are, which is a good check on your definitions.

Moving on to replication and chromatin

Once the building blocks feel solid, try the flashcards on DNA replication, which ask where replication takes place in the eukaryotic cell and which enzymes are involved. Then look at The DNA double helix and the mind map Histones and packaging. For a wider view, the mind map Physiological and Experimental Roles for Non-coding RNAs goes beyond the basics. There is also a note on the modification of histones.

Using quizzes and maps together

Take a quiz first, without looking anything up. The quiz called BioChemistry asks about complete hydrolysis of nucleic acids and about heterocyclic rings, and another quiz covers the central dogma and the parts of a nucleotide. Note which questions you missed, then find the matching branch on a mind map and read it again. Finish by retrying the quiz a day later.

Teachers can use the same sequence: a mind map to introduce a topic, flashcards for a warm-up, and a quiz to close the lesson.

Your next step

Pick one mind map, read it through once, then see how much of it you can recall in a quiz. Everything here is open for you to use as it is.