Nucleic acid and nucleotides biomedical importance of nucleotide

 

 Nucleic acid and nucleotide  biomedical importance of nucleotide

Nucleic acid is made up of series of nucleotide that direct cellular activities. Nucleic acids the vehicles of genetic inheritance. Nucleic acids are condensation polymers of nucleotide. While nucleotide is composed of a five-carbon sugar a nitrogenous base and a phosphate group. The nitrogenous base is either a purine or a pyrimidine. The five sugar is either ribose or deoxyribose molecule.

image by the science hive

Biomedical importance of nucleotide

Ø  Building blocks of nucleic acids.

Ø  They form a part of many coenzymes.

Ø  Serve as second messenger.

Ø  Carriers of activated intermediates.

Ø  Control oxidative phosphorylation.

Ø  Storage and transfer of genetic information (DNN & RNA).