Nucleic acids exhibit secondary structure, justify with example.
Nucleic acids are polymeric macromolecules or large biological molecules, essential for all known forms of life. The secondary structrure of a nucleic acid molecule refers to the base pairing interactions within a single molecule or set of interacting molecules.
DNA and RNA represent two main nucleic acids, however their secondary structures differ e.g., the secondary structure of DNA comprises of two complementary strands of polydeoxyribonucleotide, spirally coiled on a common axis forming a helicalstructure.
This double helical structure of DNA is stabilised by phosphodiester bonds (between 5' of sugar of one nucleotide and 3 of sugar of another nucleotide), hydrogen bonds (between bases, i.e., hydrogen of one base and nitrogen of oxygen of other base) and ionic interactioins.
