Final answer:
The correct structure of DNA components is B) phosphate-sugar-base, representing how nucleotides are organized with a phosphate group, 5-carbon sugar, and nitrogenous base forming each nucleotide.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct structure of DNA components can be best represented by the sequence phosphate-sugar-base, which corresponds to option B) phosphate-sugar-base. This sequence reflects how nucleotides are structured within the DNA. Each nucleotide is made up of three components: a phosphate group, a 5-carbon sugar (deoxyribose), and a nitrogenous base.
The description of the DNA structure as a double helical formation includes the sugar-phosphate backbone creating the outside 'rails' of the ladder, with the nitrogenous bases forming the 'rungs' of the ladder. The bases adhere to complementary base pairing rules where adenine pairs with thymine (A-T) through two hydrogen bonds, and guanine pairs with cytosine (G-C) through three hydrogen bonds. This pairing is crucial for DNA replication and function. Moreover, the DNA strands run antiparallel to each other, meaning one strand runs in the 5' to 3' direction, while the other runs in the 3' to 5' direction.