Q. 17.10 - An Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry

Question

State whether each of the following components is present in

DNA only, RNA only, or both DNA and RNA:

a. deoxyribose

b. guanosine monophosphate

c. uracil

d. UMP

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

Part a) Deoxyribose is determined as a component present in DNA only

Part  b) Guanosine monophosphate is determined as a component present in RNA only

Part  c) Uracil is determined as a component present in RNA only

Part d) UMP is determined as a component present in RNA

(Part a) Step 1 : General introduction

Nucleic acids are organic macromolecules that are present all over the cell. They were first discovered in the nuclei of cells. Nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are found in all known forms of life. 

One of the components of nucleotide structure is nitrogen bases. Purines and pyrimidines are nitrogen bases that form various nucleotide structures.

(Part a) Step 2 : Nucleotide and Nucleoside

One of the nitrogen bases and a five-carbon sugar, ribose or deoxyribose, make up a nucleoside. A five-carbon sugar, a nitrogen base, and a phosphate group are the three constituents of a nucleotide. 

The base's nitrogen atom is linked to the sugar's carbon $1$ by an data-custom-editor="chemistry" $\mathrm{N}$-glycosidic connection and the sugar's carbon $5$ is linked to the phosphate group by an ester linkage.

Step 3 : Introduction (part a)

The objective is to identify whether the component is DNA only, DNA and RNA, or RNA only

(part a) Step 4 : Explanation

a) Deoxyribose is a sugar that is only found in DNA. It's one of the nucleotide's structural elements. DNA A deoxyribose sugar, a nitrogen base, and a phosphate group are the three subunits of a nucleotide.

(part b) Step 5 : Introduction

The objective is to determine whether the component is present in DNA only, DNA and RNA, or RNA only

(part b) Step 6 : Explanation

b) 

Guanosine monophosphate is a nucleotide found in RNA that consists of the nitrogen base Guanine ($\mathrm{G}$), a five-carbon ribose sugar unit, and a phosphate group. The nitrogen atom in the nitrogen base creates an $\mathrm{N}$-glycosidic connection with the carbon $1$ of the ribose sugar, while the sugar's carbon $5$ forms an ester bond with the phosphate group.

(part c) Step 7 : Introduction

The objective is to determine whether the component is present in DNA only, DNA and RNA, or RNA only

(part c) Step 8 : Explanation

c)

Uracil is a nitrogen base that is only found in RNA. Uracil ($\mathrm{U}$) and adenine ($\mathrm{A}$) are base pairs in RNA ($\mathrm{A}$).

(part d) Step 9 : Introduction

The objective is to determine whether the component is present in DNA only, DNA and RNA, or RNA only

Step 10 : Explanation (part d)

(d)

Uridine monophosphate ($\mathrm{UMP}$) is a nucleotide found in RNA that consists of a nitrogen base, a five-carbon ribose sugar unit, and a phosphate group. The nitrogen atom in the nitrogen base creates an $N$-glycosidic connection with the carbon $1$ of the ribose sugar, while the sugar's carbon $5$ forms an ester bond with the phosphate group.