A nucleic acid containing the base uracil would also contain __________ sugar.

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall that nucleic acids are polymers made up of nucleotides, each consisting of a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.
2. Identify the two main types of nucleic acids: DNA and RNA. DNA contains the bases adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine, while RNA contains adenine, uracil, cytosine, and guanine.
3. Understand that uracil is a nitrogenous base found only in RNA, not in DNA.
4. Recognize that the sugar in RNA nucleotides is ribose, whereas in DNA nucleotides it is deoxyribose (which lacks one oxygen atom compared to ribose).
5. Therefore, if a nucleic acid contains uracil, it must contain the sugar ribose.

Key Concepts

Nucleic Acid Types

Nucleic acids are biomolecules that store genetic information, primarily DNA and RNA. DNA contains the bases adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine, while RNA contains adenine, uracil, cytosine, and guanine. The presence of uracil is a distinguishing feature of RNA.

Sugar Component in Nucleic Acids

Nucleic acids are composed of nucleotides, each containing a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. DNA contains deoxyribose sugar, which lacks one oxygen atom compared to ribose sugar found in RNA. The type of sugar is linked to the type of nucleic acid.

Uracil and Its Association with RNA

Uracil is a pyrimidine base found exclusively in RNA, replacing thymine found in DNA. Its presence indicates the nucleic acid is RNA, which contains ribose sugar. This distinction helps identify the sugar type based on the nitrogenous bases present.