DNA stands for what phrase?

DNA stands for what phrase?

• A. Deoxyribonucleic anion
• B. Dideoxynucleic acid
• C. Dinucleic acid
• D. Deoxyribonucleic acid

Answer: (D)

The name DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. This reflects what DNA is and its building blocks. “Deoxy” means the sugar part is deoxyribose (missing an oxygen compared with ribose), “ribo” links to that ribose sugar, “nucleic” indicates it’s a nucleic acid made of nucleotides, and “acid” refers to the acidic phosphate groups in its backbone. This term differentiates it from RNA, which is ribonucleic acid. The other options don’t fit: an anion is just a negatively charged ion and not the name of the molecule; dideoxynucleic acid refers to a specific sequencing tool (ddNTPs) rather than the general molecule; dinucleic acid would imply only two nucleotides long. Thus, the correct expansion is deoxyribonucleic acid.

The name DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. This reflects what DNA is and its building blocks. “Deoxy” means the sugar part is deoxyribose (missing an oxygen compared with ribose), “ribo” links to that ribose sugar, “nucleic” indicates it’s a nucleic acid made of nucleotides, and “acid” refers to the acidic phosphate groups in its backbone. This term differentiates it from RNA, which is ribonucleic acid. The other options don’t fit: an anion is just a negatively charged ion and not the name of the molecule; dideoxynucleic acid refers to a specific sequencing tool (ddNTPs) rather than the general molecule; dinucleic acid would imply only two nucleotides long. Thus, the correct expansion is deoxyribonucleic acid.