Class 12 Exam  >  Class 12 Questions  >  Why purine and pyrimidine is hydrophobic? Start Learning for Free
Why purine and pyrimidine is hydrophobic?
Most Upvoted Answer
Why purine and pyrimidine is hydrophobic?
This comes down to the simple fact that the bases hate water, and are described as 'hydrophobic'....
"I
hope
U
get
this
right"
Community Answer
Why purine and pyrimidine is hydrophobic?
Introduction:
Purine and pyrimidine are two types of nitrogen-containing bases that are essential components of nucleotides, the building blocks of nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA. Both purine and pyrimidine are hydrophobic in nature, meaning they repel water. This hydrophobicity is mainly due to the presence of aromatic rings in their chemical structures.

Structure of purine and pyrimidine:
1. Purine: Purine is a heterocyclic compound consisting of a pyrimidine ring fused with an imidazole ring. It has a double-ring structure, with a six-membered ring fused to a five-membered ring.
2. Pyrimidine: Pyrimidine is a heterocyclic compound consisting of a six-membered ring containing four carbon atoms and two nitrogen atoms.

Hydrophobicity of purine and pyrimidine:
1. Aromatic rings: Both purine and pyrimidine contain aromatic rings in their structures. Aromatic rings are flat and planar structures with a delocalized electron system. These delocalized electrons create a stable electron cloud that contributes to the hydrophobicity of these molecules.
2. Nonpolar nature: Aromatic rings are composed of carbon and hydrogen atoms, which are both nonpolar elements. Nonpolar molecules do not have a charge separation and do not readily interact with polar molecules like water.
3. Hydrogen bonding: Purine and pyrimidine can form hydrogen bonds with other molecules or functional groups, but these hydrogen bonds are not as energetically favorable as the interactions between water molecules, which form extensive hydrogen bonding networks.
4. Repulsion of water: Due to their hydrophobic nature, purine and pyrimidine molecules tend to cluster together and exclude water molecules. This clustering helps to minimize the unfavorable interactions between the hydrophobic bases and the polar water molecules.

Conclusion:
In summary, purine and pyrimidine are hydrophobic due to the presence of aromatic rings in their structures, which are nonpolar and repel water. Their hydrophobic nature allows them to form stable interactions with other hydrophobic molecules, contributing to their role as the building blocks of nucleic acids.
Explore Courses for Class 12 exam

Similar Class 12 Doubts

Read the passage given below and answer the following questions:EVIDENCE FOR THE FIBROUS NATURE OF DNAThe basic chemical formula of DNA is now well established. As shown in Figure 1 it consists of a very long chain, the backbone of which is made up of alternate sugar and phosphate groups, joined together in regular 3’ 5’ phosphate di-ester linkages. To each sugar is attached a nitrogenous base, only four different kinds of which are commonly found in DNA. Two of these---adenine and guanine--- are purines, and the other two thymine and cytosine-are pyrimidines. A fifth base, 5-methyl cytosine, occurs in smaller amounts in certain organisms, and a sixth, 5-hydroxy-methyl-cytosine, is found instead of cytosine in the T even phages. It should be noted that the chain is unbranched, a consequence of the regular internucleotide linkage. On the other hand the sequence of the different nucleotides is, as far as can be ascertained,completely irregular. Thus, DNA has some features which are regular, and some which are irregular. A similar conception of the DNA molecule as a long thin fiber is obtained from physicochemical analysis involving sedimentation, diffusion, light scattering, and viscosity measurements. These techniques indicate that DNA is a very asymmetrical structure approximately 20 A wide and many thousands of angstroms long. Estimates of its molecular weight currently center between 5 X106and X107(approximately 3 X104nucleotides). Surprisingly each of these measurements tend to suggest that the DNA is relatively rigid, a puzzling finding in view of the large number of single bonds (5 per nucleotid e) in the phosphate-sugar back bone. Recently these indirect inferences have been confirmed by electron microscopy.Q. DNA has a ___________ backbone

Why purine and pyrimidine is hydrophobic?
Question Description
Why purine and pyrimidine is hydrophobic? for Class 12 2024 is part of Class 12 preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the Class 12 exam syllabus. Information about Why purine and pyrimidine is hydrophobic? covers all topics & solutions for Class 12 2024 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for Why purine and pyrimidine is hydrophobic?.
Solutions for Why purine and pyrimidine is hydrophobic? in English & in Hindi are available as part of our courses for Class 12. Download more important topics, notes, lectures and mock test series for Class 12 Exam by signing up for free.
Here you can find the meaning of Why purine and pyrimidine is hydrophobic? defined & explained in the simplest way possible. Besides giving the explanation of Why purine and pyrimidine is hydrophobic?, a detailed solution for Why purine and pyrimidine is hydrophobic? has been provided alongside types of Why purine and pyrimidine is hydrophobic? theory, EduRev gives you an ample number of questions to practice Why purine and pyrimidine is hydrophobic? tests, examples and also practice Class 12 tests.
Explore Courses for Class 12 exam
Signup for Free!
Signup to see your scores go up within 7 days! Learn & Practice with 1000+ FREE Notes, Videos & Tests.
10M+ students study on EduRev