Nucleic acids are polynucleotides i.e., they are formed by the condensation of thousand molecules of nucleotides with the elimination of water molecules.
Nucleic acids are of two types: deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). The two main functions of nucleic acids are:
- DNA is responsible for the transmission of heredity effects from one generation to another. This is due to the unique property of replication during cell division as a result of which two identical DNA strands are transmitted to daughter cells.
- DNA and RNA are responsible for protein synthesis needed for the growth and maintenance of our body. Actually, proteins are synthesised by various RNA molecules (rRNA, mRNA and tRNA) in the cell but the message for the synthesis of a particular protein is given by DNA molecules.
