Things fit together

[fivemack]

I hadn't realised that the A in ATP, adenosine triphosphate, the universal fuel of cellular processes, was the same chemical as the A in the ACGT genetic alphabet. Had you?

Comments

[sphyg.livejournal.com]

Um, yes ;P

[redbird]

Okay, what if anything is the difference between adenine and adenosine, then?

[emperor]

Yes, but I am a professional biologist... ;)

[crazyscot.livejournal.com]

Yes, from the biology I did at school and in Pt. 1A CST.

[j4.livejournal.com]

No... but then I'd never heard of ATP as meaning anything other than All Tomorrow's Parties.

ACGT... if only there was a 'T' in the musical scale. Then you could create life through music! (Maybe.)

[rysmiel.livejournal.com]

Umm, yes.

Oh, and haven't yet got round to reading the links from your last post, which look fascinating, but I commend to your attention a review article in Trends in Genetics Vol. 20 No. 2 [ Feb 2004 ] entitled "Driving Change: the evolution of alternative genetic codes", by Santos, Moura et al, which draws together a number of ways in which the idea of a single genetic code has had to be expanded on, which I think fits in the same sort of conceptual space.

[scottscidmore.livejournal.com]

Yes, but I read a lot of stuff. If you either read a lot of general biochem, or origins of life theories, you are always running across it.

Slight Mistake!

[(Anonymous)]

You are mistaken!

A in the genetic alphabet is Adenine not Adenosine.

What is the difference I hear you mumble?
2 letters.

But what is the chemical and biological difference I hear you query?
Adenine is a nucleotide, and Adenosine is not.


Many thanks,

A PhD student (studying Molecular Genetics)

[kaet.livejournal.com]

It's quite cool. You get GTP and UTP, too, and (to a lesser extent) CTP, and TTP. GTP and UTP, at least, are used as energy currency in some places. GTP is praticularly interesting because it's involved in G-proteins. Well, it's particularly interesting if you're particularly interested in G-proteins, anyway.

[brrm.livejournal.com]

Yes. (Just to prove my degree wasn't wasted, see.)