What is a nucleotide?

What is a nucleotide?

• A. The monomer of DNA that consists of a phosphate, sugar, and a nitrogen base
• B. A protein that forms the DNA backbone
• C. A type of lipid
• D. A fatty acid

Answer: (A)

Nucleotides are the basic units that build nucleic acids like DNA and RNA. Each nucleotide has three parts: a phosphate group, a sugar (deoxyribose in DNA or ribose in RNA), and a nitrogen-containing base. These units connect through sugar-phosphate bonds to form the backbone of a strand, while the bases project outward to encode genetic information. The sequence of bases determines the genetic code, and specific base pairing (A with T or U, and C with G) enables accurate replication and transcription. The other options describe different types of molecules (a protein, a lipid, and a fatty acid), which are not nucleotides.

Nucleotides are the basic units that build nucleic acids like DNA and RNA. Each nucleotide has three parts: a phosphate group, a sugar (deoxyribose in DNA or ribose in RNA), and a nitrogen-containing base. These units connect through sugar-phosphate bonds to form the backbone of a strand, while the bases project outward to encode genetic information. The sequence of bases determines the genetic code, and specific base pairing (A with T or U, and C with G) enables accurate replication and transcription. The other options describe different types of molecules (a protein, a lipid, and a fatty acid), which are not nucleotides.