IB Biology Topic A1.2 Nucleic Acids (SL/HL) covers syllabus content as part of Topic A1: Molecules under Theme A: Unity and Diversity. Use these notes, questionbank, videos, flashcards, and lessons to review the topic, practise exam questions, and move between notes, videos, flashcards, and lessons where available.
A1.2 Nucleic acids is part of Topic A1: Molecules under Theme A: Unity and Diversity.
What this topic covers
A1.2.1 DNA as the genetic material of all living organisms
A1.2.2 Components of a nucleotide
A1.2.3 Sugar–phosphate bonding and the sugar–phosphate “backbone” of DNA and RNA
A1.2.4 Bases in each nucleic acid that form the basis of a code
A1.2.5 RNA as a polymer formed by condensation of nucleotide monomers
A1.2.6 DNA as a double helix linked by hydrogen bonding between complementary base pairs
A1.2.7 Differences between DNA and RNA
A1.2.8 Complementary base pairing in allowing genetic information to be replicated and expressed
A1.2.9 Diversity of possible DNA base sequences and its capacity for storing information
A1.2.10 Conservation of the genetic code as evidence of universal common ancestry
A1.2.11 Directionality of RNA and DNA (HL only)
A1.2.12 Purine-to-pyrimidine bonding as a component of DNA helix stability (HL only)
A1.2.13 Structure of a nucleosome (HL only)
A1.2.14 Evidence from the Hershey–Chase experiment for DNA as the genetic material (HL only)
A1.2.15 Chargaff’s data on pyrimidine and purine bases across diverse life forms (HL only)