DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC Meaning and
Definition
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Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a complex molecule that carries genetic information in all living organisms. The term "deoxyribonucleic" is derived from its chemical composition and structure. A DNA molecule is made up of two strands that twist around each other to form the famous double helix shape.
"Deoxyribo-" refers to the presence of deoxyribose, a sugar molecule with five carbon atoms, in each nucleotide of the DNA backbone. Deoxyribose is crucial in DNA structure as it connects the individual nucleotides together, forming a long chain. This sugar also differentiates DNA from its counterpart, ribonucleic acid (RNA), which contains a ribose sugar instead.
The second part of the term, "-nucleic," refers to the presence of nucleotides. Nucleotides are the building blocks of DNA and RNA, consisting of three components: a sugar molecule, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. The nitrogenous bases adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T) are found in DNA. These bases form complementary base pairs (A with T, and G with C) between the two strands of DNA, allowing for the faithful replication and transfer of genetic information.
The discovery of DNA's structure and the understanding of its role in heredity revolutionized the field of biology. Today, DNA is not only known for transmitting genetic information but is also used in various fields, including forensics, biotechnology, and medicine.
Common Misspellings for DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC
- seoxyribonucleic
- xeoxyribonucleic
- ceoxyribonucleic
- feoxyribonucleic
- reoxyribonucleic
- eeoxyribonucleic
- dwoxyribonucleic
- dsoxyribonucleic
- ddoxyribonucleic
- droxyribonucleic
- d4oxyribonucleic
- d3oxyribonucleic
- deixyribonucleic
- dekxyribonucleic
- delxyribonucleic
- depxyribonucleic
- de0xyribonucleic
- de9xyribonucleic
- deozyribonucleic
- deocyribonucleic
Etymology of DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC
The word "deoxyribonucleic" can be broken down into its main components: "deoxyribo-" and "-nucleic".
1. "Deoxyribo-" is derived from "deoxyribose", which is a sugar molecule composed of five carbons found in the backbone of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). The prefix "deoxy-" in "deoxyribose" indicates that it is missing an oxygen atom when compared to a regular ribose sugar molecule.
2. "-Nucleic" comes from "nucleic acid", which refers to a group of macromolecules found in living organisms that play a crucial role in genetic information storage and transmission. DNA is a type of nucleic acid.
Therefore, "deoxyribonucleic" specifically describes the sugar (deoxyribose) component of DNA and its association with nucleic acids.
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