The nucleic acids are of fundamental importance to living organisms as they control all the cellular activities directly or indirectly through the synthesis of all cellular proteins, and hence of all cellular constituents. Both types of nucleic acids, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) are NORMALLY present in the nucleus of a cell. RNA is chiefly located in the cytoplasm outside the nucleus.

Nucleic acids like proteins are macromolecules built from three types of repeating subunits:

1. Nitrogenous bases — purines and pyrimidines,
2. PENTOSE sugars, and
3. Phosphate units.

The nucleic acids are strongly ACIDIC and at physiological pH carry a high density of negative charge. For that reason they usually remain associated with different types of cations like Mg2 + and basic proteins like HISTONES. DNA was discovered by a Swiss physician F. Miescher in 1869. It is the genetic material in most organisms and carries the hereditary informations.

The nucleic acids are of fundamental importance to living organisms as they control all the cellular activities directly or indirectly through the synthesis of all cellular proteins, and hence of all cellular constituents. Both types of nucleic acids, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) are normally present in the nucleus of a cell. RNA is chiefly located in the cytoplasm outside the nucleus.

Nucleic acids like proteins are macromolecules built from three types of repeating subunits:

The nucleic acids are strongly acidic and at physiological pH carry a high density of negative charge. For that reason they usually remain associated with different types of cations like Mg2 + and basic proteins like histones. DNA was discovered by a Swiss physician F. Miescher in 1869. It is the genetic material in most organisms and carries the hereditary informations.