Lab Tips: Nucleotides, Nucleic Acids, and Proteins

Use the notes below to avoid common mistakes. Detailed experiment steps follow the exercises. General Rule: Anything inside rounded boxes and anything marked with a ☑ is graded. Do not skip these.

Exercise A: The Central Dogma of Molecular Biology

This section is straightforward. Focus on completing all graded boxes and check-marked items.

Exercise B: Nucleotides and Nucleic Acids

Figure 3: Circle the structural differences between deoxyribose and ribose. You should have two circles total.

Figure 4: Circle the differences between thymine and uracil. Again, two circles total.

Problem 5: Phosphodiester Bond
The instructions are wordy. Use the provided GIF as your guide for forming the bond.

Figure 6: Partial Charges

• Label δ+ on hydrogens

• Label δ− on oxygens and nitrogens

Exercise C: Amino Acids and Peptide Bonding

Problem 9: Peptide Bond

• Draw two amino acids side by side

• Remove the correct atoms to form a peptide bond

Note: These are the transcribed amino acids, not the peptide bond. Do not use this image on Problem 9. You must complete the peptide bond using the information in the lab.

Figure 8: Hydrogen Bonding (Secondary Structure)

• Hydrogen bonds form between:

  • δ+ hydrogens (amine group)

  • δ− oxygens (carbonyl group)

• Draw the bonds connecting these groups.