17: Nucleic Acids

Sacramento City College
CHEM 309: General, Organic and Biochemistry
Prof. Dianne Bennett

Agenda (Fall)  •   Agenda (Spring)  •  Homework Problems

1. Chapter 2: The Classical Wave Equation
2. 2.1: The One-Dimensional Wave Equation
3. 2.2: The Method of Separation of Variables
4. 2.3: Oscillatory Solutions to Differential Equations
5. 2.4: The General Solution is a Superposition of Normal Modes
6. 2.5: A Vibrating Membrane
7. 2.E: The Classical Wave Equation (Exercises)

 •  Homework Solutions

1. Chapter 11: Computational Quantum Chemistry
2. 11.1: Gaussian Basis Sets
3. 11.2: Extended Basis Sets
4. 11.3: Orbital Polarization Terms in Basis Sets
5. 11.4: The Ground-State Energy of H2H2
6. 11.5: Quantum Calculations
7. 11.E: Computational Quantum Chemistry (Exercises)

Chapters

1. Chapter 12: Group Theory: The Exploitation of Symmetry
2. 12.1: The Exploitation of Symmetry
3. 12.2: Symmetry Elements
4. 12.3: Symmetry Operations Define Groups
5. 12.4: Symmetry Operations as Matrices
6. 12.5: The C3VC3V Point Group
7. 12.6: Character Tables
8. 12.7: Characters of Irreducible Representations
9. 12.8: Using Symmetry to Solve Secular Determinants
10. 12.9: Generating Operators
11. 12.E: Group Theory: The Exploitation of Symmetry (Exercises)

  •  Video Tutorials

1. Chapter 13: Molecular Spectroscopy
2. 13.1: The Electromagnetic Spectrum
3. 13.2: Rotations Accompany Vibrational Transitions
4. 13.3: Unequal Spacings in Vibration-Rotation Spectra
5. 13.4: Unequal Spacings in Pure Rotational Spectra
6. 13.5: Vibrational Overtones
7. 13.6: Electronic Spectra Contain Electronic, Vibrational, and Rotational Information
8. 13.7: The Franck-Condon Principle
9. 13.8: Rotational Spectra of Polyatomic Molecules
10. 13.9: Normal Modes in Polyatomic Molecules
11. 13.10: Irreducible Representation of Point Groups
12. 13.11: Time-Dependent Perturbation Theory
13. 13.12: The Selection Rule for the Rigid Rotator
14. 13.13: The Harmonic Oscillator Selection Rule
15. 13.14: Group Theory Determines Infrared Activity
16. 13.E: Molecular Spectroscopy (Exercises)

 •  Basic Knowledge Practice Quizzes

The blueprint for the reproduction and the maintenance of each organism is found in the nuclei of its cells, concentrated in elongated, threadlike structures called chromosomes. These complex structures, consisting of DNA and proteins, contain the basic units of heredity, called genes. The number of chromosomes (and genes) varies with each species. Human body cells have 23 pairs of chromosomes having 20,000–40,000 different genes.

Sperm and egg cells contain only a single copy of each chromosome; that is, they contain only one member of each chromosome pair. Thus, in sexual reproduction, the entire complement of chromosomes is achieved only when an egg and sperm combine. A new individual receives half its hereditary material from each parent. Calling the unit of heredity a “gene” merely gives it a name. But what really are genes and how is the information they contain expressed? One definition of a gene is that it is a segment of DNA that constitutes the code for a specific polypeptide. If genes are segments of DNA, we need to learn more about the structure and physiological function of DNA. We begin by looking at the small molecules needed to form DNA and RNA (ribonucleic acid)—the nucleotides.