The three parts that make up a cytosine nucleotide in rna

General
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the three parts that make up a cytosine nucleotide in rna

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What are the three parts that make up a cytosine nucleotide in RNA?

Answer:

To understand the structure of a cytosine nucleotide in RNA, we need to look at the basic components that make up any RNA nucleotide. Each nucleotide consists of three main parts:

  1. Nitrogenous Base:

    • For a cytosine nucleotide, this part is the cytosine base (C). Cytosine is one of the four nitrogenous bases found in RNA, along with adenine (A), uracil (U), and guanine (G). The nitrogenous base is crucial because it pairs with complementary bases during the formation of RNA strands.

  2. Pentose Sugar:

    • In RNA, the sugar is ribose. Ribose is a five-carbon sugar molecule that distinguishes RNA from DNA, which contains deoxyribose. The presence of the hydroxyl group (-OH) on the 2’ carbon atom of ribose is a key feature of RNA.

  3. Phosphate Group:

    • Nucleotides contain one or more phosphate groups. In a nucleotide, the phosphate group(s) attach to the 5’ carbon of the sugar. The phosphate groups link nucleotides together through phosphodiester bonds to form the backbone of an RNA strand.

Final Answer:

The three parts that make up a cytosine nucleotide in RNA are:

  • Cytosine Base: The nitrogenous base specific to this nucleotide.
  • Ribose Sugar: The five-carbon sugar that forms part of the RNA backbone.
  • Phosphate Group(s): Attaches to the sugar and participates in forming the sugar-phosphate backbone of RNA.