A nucleotide is made of ____________ .


a. a five-carbon sugar
b. phosphate
c. a nitrogenous base
d. all of the above

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that a nucleotide is the basic building block of nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA.
2. Recognize that a nucleotide is composed of three main components.
3. Identify the first component: a five-carbon sugar, which can be either ribose (in RNA) or deoxyribose (in DNA).
4. Identify the second component: a phosphate group, which links the nucleotides together to form a nucleic acid chain.
5. Identify the third component: a nitrogenous base, which can be adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine (in DNA), or uracil (in RNA).

Key Concepts

Structure of Nucleotides

Nucleotides are the building blocks of nucleic acids like DNA and RNA. Each nucleotide consists of three components: a five-carbon sugar (ribose in RNA and deoxyribose in DNA), a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. This structure is essential for the formation of the nucleic acid backbone and the encoding of genetic information.

Role of Phosphate in Nucleotides

The phosphate group in a nucleotide plays a critical role in linking nucleotides together through phosphodiester bonds, forming the sugar-phosphate backbone of nucleic acids. This linkage is vital for the stability and integrity of the DNA or RNA molecule, allowing it to store and transmit genetic information.

Nitrogenous Bases

Nitrogenous bases are organic molecules that contain nitrogen and are a key component of nucleotides. There are five primary bases: adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine (in DNA), and uracil (in RNA). The specific pairing of these bases (A with T, C with G) is crucial for the complementary nature of DNA and the coding of genetic information.