Nucleic acid

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/nucleic-acid

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the key enzymes in DNA replication?DNA polymerase, helicase, ligase
2. What is the central dogma of molecular biology?DNA → RNA → Protein
3. What are nucleic acids?Nucleic acids are long chains made of many small parts called nucleotides. They include DNA and RNA, which hold the instructions that make living things work.
4. How is DNA different from RNA?DNA usually has two strands that twist into a double helix and uses the base thymine. RNA is usually single‑stranded, uses uracil instead of thymine, and has a slightly different sugar.

Nucleotide: The basic building block of nucleic acids, composed of a sugar, phosphate, and nitrogenous base.
Transcription: The process of synthesizing an RNA molecule from a DNA template.
Translation: The process of synthesizing a protein from an mRNA template on ribosomes.