A1.2 Nucleic acids

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)