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Multiple Choice
Which three components make up a nucleotide in nucleic acids?
A
A nitrogenous base, a fatty acid, and a phosphate group
B
A nitrogenous base, a five-carbon sugar, and a methyl group
C
A five-carbon sugar, a carboxyl group, and a phosphate group
D
A nitrogenous base, a five-carbon sugar, and a phosphate group
Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Understand the structure of a nucleotide. A nucleotide is the basic building block of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA). It consists of three main components: a nitrogenous base, a five-carbon sugar, and a phosphate group.
Step 2: Identify the nitrogenous base. The nitrogenous base can be one of the following: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), thymine (T) in DNA, or uracil (U) in RNA. These bases are responsible for the genetic coding in nucleic acids.
Step 3: Recognize the five-carbon sugar. The sugar in a nucleotide is either deoxyribose (in DNA) or ribose (in RNA). The difference between these sugars is that deoxyribose lacks an oxygen atom on the 2' carbon compared to ribose.
Step 4: Understand the role of the phosphate group. The phosphate group is attached to the 5' carbon of the sugar and is responsible for linking nucleotides together through phosphodiester bonds, forming the backbone of the nucleic acid strand.
Step 5: Eliminate incorrect options. A fatty acid, methyl group, or carboxyl group are not components of a nucleotide. The correct combination is a nitrogenous base, a five-carbon sugar, and a phosphate group.