Nucleic Acids and their Hydrolysis Products

The genuine high polymer nucleic acids form a part of all living matter. 

Two types of polynucleotides may be distinguished through their structure deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA) with molecular weights as high as 100 million and ribonucleic acids (RNA) with molecular weights up to 500,000. 

Deoxyribonucleic acids are much more alkali-resistent than ribonucleic acids and require other enzyme systems for hydrolitic degradation. Hydrolysis of deoxyribonucleic acids with mineral acids splits off purine bases, yielding thymic acid and oligonucleotides can be prepared through the action of pancreatic enzymes. 

Both types of nucleic acid are composed of mononucleotides which are built according to the scheme  

Nucleosides are formed from mononucleotides (sometimes referred to as simple nucleic acids ) by elimination of the phosphoric acid moiety. Those derived from deoxyribonucleic acid contain the purine bases guanine and adenine and the pyrimidine bases cytosine and th37mine the bases are linked to deoxyribose via a N-glycosidic bond. 5-Methylcytosine, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine and 5-hydroxymethyluracil also occur in some deoxyribonucleic acids. The four nucleosides which 

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