Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Structure of Nucleic Acids

Primary, Secondary, Tertiary Structure of Nucleic Acids

> 1. The primary structure is the sequence of nucleoside monophosphates (usually written as the sequence of bases they contain).

> 2. The secondary structure refers to the shape a nucleic acid assumes as a result of the primary structure. B-DNA, A-DNA, and Z-DNA are forms of secondary structure (see here and here). B-DNA is the form that predominates in the aqueous environment of the cell.

> 3. Tertiary structure refers to large-scale folding in a linear polymer that is at a higher order than secondary structure. The tertiary structure is the specific three-dimensional shape into which an entire chain is folded.

See also: B-DNA, Polynucleotide Structures, DNA, RNA, Palindromes