What Are the Three Main Parts of a Nucleotide

Subject : Biology

Question:

What Are the Three Main Parts of a Nucleotide?

Expert Verified Solution:

Nucleotides are the basic units that make up nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA. Each nucleotide consists of three main parts:

1. A Nitrogenous Base: This is a molecule that contains nitrogen and has the chemical properties of a base. There are four types of nitrogenous bases in DNA (adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine) and RNA (adenine, uracil, cytosine, and guanine).

2. A Pentose Sugar: This is a five-carbon sugar molecule. In DNA, the sugar is deoxyribose, and in RNA, the sugar is ribose.

3. A Phosphate Group: This group consists of a phosphorus atom bonded to four oxygen atoms. It connects the sugar of one nucleotide to the sugar of another, forming the backbone of the nucleic acid strand.

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