Nucleic acid

Definition

A large polymeric biomolecule composed of nucleotide monomers, each containing a five-carbon sugar (ribose or deoxyribose), a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. Nucleic acids store, transmit, and express genetic information in all living organisms and many viruses. The two principal classes are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which serves as the primary hereditary material, and ribonucleic acid (RNA), which mediates protein synthesis and gene regulation. In arthropod biology, nucleic acids underpin molecular systematics (DNA barcoding, phylogenomics), population genetics, the study of vector-borne pathogen transmission, and the development of RNA interference (RNAi) technologies for pest management.

Etymology

From 'nucleus' (referring to the cell nucleus, where DNA was first identified) + '-ic' + 'acid' (reflecting the acidic phosphate groups)

Example

Molecular entomologists extract nucleic acids from mosquito specimens to amplify and sequence mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) DNA, enabling species identification and phylogeographic analysis of vector populations involved in malaria transmission.

Synonyms

• polynucleotide

Related Terms

• DNA
• RNA
• Nucleotide
• Genome
• Transcription
• translation
• PCR
• DNA barcoding
• RNA interference
• mitochondrial DNA
• Ribosomal RNA

Usage Notes

Specialists distinguish DNA from RNA by sugar type and functional role, not merely as interchangeable 'nucleic acids.' In field contexts, 'nucleic acid' often appears in extraction protocols or preservation methods (e.g., ethanol fixation for nucleic acid stability) rather than as a routine taxonomic descriptor. The term is broader than 'genetic material,' as it includes non-coding and viral nucleic acids without hereditary function.