Multiple Choice
In RNA, what sugar is found in the nucleotide backbone?
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7. DNA and Chromosome Structure
RNA
Multiple Choice
In RNA, which sugar is found in the nucleotide backbone?
A
Ribose
B
Glucose
C
Deoxyribose
D
Fructose
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand that nucleotides, the building blocks of nucleic acids like RNA and DNA, consist of three components: a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.
Recall that the sugar component in nucleotides differs between RNA and DNA, which is a key factor in their structural differences.
Identify that in DNA, the sugar is deoxyribose, which lacks one oxygen atom compared to ribose, while in RNA, the sugar is ribose, which contains a hydroxyl group (-OH) on the 2' carbon.
Recognize that glucose and fructose are sugars but are not components of nucleotide backbones; they are simple sugars involved in metabolism, not nucleic acid structure.
Conclude that the sugar found in the nucleotide backbone of RNA is ribose, distinguishing it from DNA's deoxyribose.
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