What is the basic building block of a nucleic acids?
Chemistry · High School · Mon Jan 18 2021
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The basic building block of nucleic acids is the nucleotide. Nucleic acids, such as DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid), are macromolecules that carry genetic information and play essential roles in the synthesis of proteins and various cellular processes.
A nucleotide is composed of three main components:
- Phosphate Group (PO₄): A phosphate group forms the backbone of the nucleotide and provides a negative charge.
- Pentose Sugar:
- In DNA, the pentose sugar is deoxyribose.
- In RNA, the pentose sugar is ribose.
3.Nitrogenous Base:
- Adenine (A)
- Thymine (T) in DNA (uracil (U) in RNA, as RNA lacks thymine)
- Cytosine (C)
- Guanine (G)