Nucleobase molecules

[paulsutton]

Just a quick question about this,  I downloaded the attached from Openclipart.  I am a little confused as to why

Uracil and Thymine appear identical,  other than the numbers.  I am not too sure what the numerical values around Uracil represent.  Could someone clarity what these are please.  If the molecule is wrong then I will just have a look for a better resource for this.

As far as I am aware Uracil is not one of the main 4 actual nucleobase.  However would be good to have a little more understanding of what I am looking at here, as I am planning an activity to build these molecules from molymods as part of a STEM Group activity.  

 

Thanks

 

Paul

[exchemist]

1 hour ago, paulsutton said:

Just a quick question about this,  I downloaded the attached from Openclipart.  I am a little confused as to why

Uracil and Thymine appear identical,  other than the numbers.  I am not too sure what the numerical values around Uracil represent.  Could someone clarity what these are please.  If the molecule is wrong then I will just have a look for a better resource for this.

As far as I am aware Uracil is not one of the main 4 actual nucleobase.  However would be good to have a little more understanding of what I am looking at here, as I am planning an activity to build these molecules from molymods as part of a STEM Group activity.  

 

Thanks

 

Paul

Thymine has a methyl substituent in the 5 position, which uracil does not have.

The numbering is just a way to denote the ring substituents. With heterocycles it is normal to pick one of the hetero atoms as position 1 and the others then follow round the ring. 

 

 

[paulsutton]

Thanks for this,  I did sort of  build one of these up at the STEM group meeting but the people who this was aimed at didn't make it.  So hopefully can do this at a future event.