Biology Forums - Study Force

Explain the relationship between nucleic acids and proteins

Nucleic acids are the universal code for all organisms and is present as RNA and DNA.  Both forms provide the content for pre-mRNA production, which eventually TRANSLATES    into a protein.  In short, nucleic acids indirectly provide the necessary information for protein production, by mRNA production

The two main types nucleic acids are DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid). These are complex, high molecular-weight nucleotide chains that convey genetic information. They convey this genetic material by coding for different proteins.

DNA is the primary source for genetic information, that is what proteins should be made and where they should go. Proteins are made in the cytoplasm of cells in a process called translation. DNA is found in the nucleus and is too big to leave the nucleus and enter the cytoplasm. Its like DNA has the instructions on, which proteins should be made and how, but its too big to go out and give them. So it sends RNA in the form of mRNA (messenger RNA).

RNA is a smaller molecule that gets these instructions (in a process called transcription) from DNA and leaves the nucleus to enter the cytoplasm and instruct amino acids on how to align themselves to make particular proteins. So, the relationship between the two is that nucleic acids code for proteins via trancription and translation.