Final answer:
Guanosine triphosphate (GTP) is the nucleotide hydrolyzed during both transcription and translation elongation, providing the necessary energy for these processes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Transcription and Translation Elongation
During both transcription and translation elongation, specific nucleotides are hydrolyzed to provide the necessary energy for these processes to occur. In transcription, the polymerase catalyzes the formation of phosphodiester bonds as it adds nucleotide triphosphates (NTPs) to the growing RNA strand. These NTPs include ATP, UTP, CTP, and GTP which are matched to the DNA template via base pairing.
During translation elongation, one of the key steps involves the entry of the aminoacyl-tRNA into the A site of the ribosome. This process requires hydrolysis of GTP as energy, which is bound to an elongation factor. Furthermore, another GTP is hydrolyzed to help translocate the ribosome along the mRNA, ensuring that the next codon is positioned correctly in the A site. In summary, likewise, GTP is hydrolyzed during both transcription and especially during translation elongation processes, being an essential provider of free energy for these biological mechanisms.