What are the three parts of a nucleotide

General
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what are the three parts of a nucleotide

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What are the three parts of a nucleotide?

Answer:
A nucleotide is the building block of nucleic acids like DNA and RNA. It is composed of three main parts:

  1. Sugar: The first part of a nucleotide is a five-carbon sugar. In DNA, this sugar is deoxyribose, while in RNA, it is ribose. The type of sugar present in the nucleotide determines whether it is a DNA nucleotide or an RNA nucleotide.

  2. Phosphate Group: The second part is a phosphate group, which consists of phosphorus and oxygen atoms. The phosphate group is attached to the sugar molecule, linking one nucleotide to the next during the formation of DNA or RNA strands.

  3. Nitrogenous Base: The third part is a nitrogenous base, which can be one of four types: adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C), and guanine (G) in DNA, and uracil (U) replaces thymine in RNA. The nitrogenous base is attached to the sugar molecule and determines the genetic information carried by the nucleotide.

These three components together form a nucleotide, the basic unit that makes up the genetic information in living organisms.