Answer:
Step-by-step explanation:
The phosphate group (PO4) is what differentiates a nucleotide from a nucleoside. This addition changes the nucleoside from a base to an acid. These phosphate groups are important, as they form phosphodiester bonds with the pentose sugars to create the sides of the DNA “ladder.
The sugar in DNA is deoxyribose. Deoxyribose differs from ribose (found in RNA) in that the #2 carbon lacks a hydroxyl group (hence the prefix “Deoxy”). Nucleotides in DNA contain four different nitrogenous bases: Thymine, Cytosine, Adenine, or Guanine.