Multiple Choice
Which of the following best describes the component of DNA labeled with an X in the diagram, if X is pointing to the phosphate group?
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7. DNA and Chromosome Structure
DNA Structure
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Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first videoMultiple Choice
Phosphate is a component of which part of DNA?
A
the backbone
B
the nitrogenous bases
C
the ribose sugar
D
the hydrogen bonds
Verified step by step guidance1
Recall the structure of DNA, which consists of three main components: nitrogenous bases, a sugar molecule, and phosphate groups.
Understand that the nitrogenous bases (adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine) are the parts that pair through hydrogen bonds to form the rungs of the DNA ladder.
Recognize that the sugar in DNA is deoxyribose, which, together with phosphate groups, forms the sides or backbone of the DNA molecule.
Identify that phosphate groups link the 3' carbon of one sugar to the 5' carbon of the next sugar, creating a sugar-phosphate backbone.
Conclude that phosphate is a component of the DNA backbone, not the nitrogenous bases, ribose sugar, or hydrogen bonds.
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