What are the components of a nucleotide?
- Nucleotides are organic molecules that serve as the monomer units for the formation of nucleic acid polymers such as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA), both of which are essential biomolecules within all life-forms on Earth.
- Nucleotides are the building blocks of nucleic acids. They are composed of three subunit molecules: a nitrogenous base, a five-carbon sugar (ribose or deoxyribose), and at least one phosphate group.
- Nitrogenous base - Purines or pyrimidines such as Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, Thymine or Uracil.
- Sugar - Either ribose sugar or deoxyribose sugar.
- Phosphate group - 1 phosphorus atom joined to 4 oxygen atoms