Multiple Choice
Which sugar is found in the backbone of DNA?
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7. DNA and Chromosome Structure
DNA Structure
Multiple Choice
In the structure of DNA, what kind of sugar is found in the nucleotide backbone?
A
Ribose
B
Deoxyribose
C
Glucose
D
Fructose
Verified step by step guidance1
Recall that DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid, which gives a hint about the sugar involved in its structure.
Understand that the backbone of DNA is made up of alternating sugar and phosphate groups.
Identify that the sugar in DNA nucleotides is a five-carbon sugar, which is a type of pentose sugar.
Differentiate between ribose and deoxyribose: ribose has a hydroxyl group (-OH) on the 2' carbon, while deoxyribose lacks this hydroxyl group at the 2' carbon, having only a hydrogen atom instead.
Conclude that since DNA lacks the 2' hydroxyl group, the sugar in its backbone is deoxyribose, not ribose or other sugars like glucose or fructose.
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