AP®︎ Biology: Topic 1.6 Practice Test
Prepare for your quiz, test, or the AP exam with focused practice questions on Topic 1.6 of AP Biology – Nucleic Acids.
Questions List
Topic 1.6
Question 1 Easy
This question tests the following: IST-1.A.1
What are the building blocks of nucleic acids?
What You’re Being Tested On:
Explore the learning objectives taken directly from the College Board’s AP® Biology Curriculum. Ensure you’re prepared for the exact topics covered on the AP® exam, in-class tests, and quizzes, and gain confidence in your mastery of the material.
Topic 1.6: Nucleic Acids
Learning Objective: 1.6.A
Describe the structure and function of DNA and RNA.
Essential Knowledge: 1.6.A.1
In nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), biological information is encoded in sequences of nucleotide monomers. Each nucleotide has the following structural components: a five-carbon sugar (deoxyribose or ribose), a phosphate, and a nitrogenous base (adenine, thymine, guanine, cytosine, or uracil).
Essential Knowledge: 1.6.A.2
Nucleic acids have a linear sequence of nucleotides that have ends, defined by the 3’ (three prime) hydroxyl and 5’ (five prime) phosphates of the sugar in the nucleotide. During nucleic acid synthesis, nucleotides are added to the 3’ end of the growing strand, resulting in the formation of covalent bonds between nucleotides. Exclusion: The molecular structure of specific nucleotides is beyond the scope of the AP Exam.
Essential Knowledge: 1.6.A.3
DNA is structured as an antiparallel double helix, with two strands of nucleotides running in opposite 5’ to 3’ orientation. In DNA, adenine nucleotides pair with thymine nucleotides via hydrogen bonds (A-T), and cytosine nucleotides pair with guanine nucleotides via hydrogen bonds (C-G). In RNA, adenine pairs with uracil (A-U).
Essential Knowledge: 1.6.A.4
Structural differences between DNA and RNA include: i. DNA contains the sugar deoxyribose, and RNA contains the sugar ribose. ii. DNA contains the nitrogenous base thymine, and RNA contains the nitrogenous base uracil. iii. DNA is typically double stranded, while RNA is typically single stranded.
