Final answer:
The building blocks of DNA are nucleotides, which consist of a nitrogenous base, deoxyribose sugar, and phosphate group. DNA's structure is a double helix with base-pairing rules, where adenine pairs with thymine, and cytosine pairs with guanine. The primary structure of DNA is the sequence of nucleotides encoding genetic information.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Building Blocks of DNA
The basic building blocks of DNA are nucleotides. Each nucleotide consists of three components: a nitrogenous base, a deoxyribose sugar (a 5-carbon sugar), and a phosphate group. There are four types of nitrogenous bases in DNA nucleotides: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T). The structure of the DNA molecule is a double helix formed by two strands of nucleotides which run in opposite directions. These strands are connected by hydrogen bonds between the nitrogenous bases, adhering to the base-pairing rules where A pairs with T and C pairs with G.
Primary Structure of DNA
The primary structure of DNA refers to the sequence of nucleotides in a DNA molecule. This sequence encodes the genetic information that cells use to produce proteins and carry out functions essential for life. DNA's structure is essential in the replication process and in the transmission of genetic information through generations.
Base-Pairing Rules
According to Chargaff's rules, the amount of adenine in a DNA molecule is always equal to the amount of thymine, and the amount of guanine is always equal to the amount of cytosine. This reflects the base-pairing rules and is crucial for the semi-conservative replication of DNA, where each new DNA molecule contains one original and one newly synthesized strand.