MemotivaAP Biology Unit 1 Topic 1.6: Nucleic Acids — DNA, RNA, Nucleotide Structure and the Double Helix

What is the five-prime to three-prime directionality of DNA?

AP Biology Unit 1 Topic 1.6: Nucleic Acids — DNA, RNA, Nucleotide Structure and the Double Helix

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What is the five-prime to three-prime directionality of DNA?

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The numbers refer to specific carbon atoms in the deoxyribose sugar. The five-prime end has a free phosphate group while the three-prime end has a free hydroxyl group. New nucleotides can only be added to the three-prime end during replication, which has major implications for how DNA is copied.
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