Final answer:
The energy needed for nucleic acid polymerization is provided by the phosphate groups of nucleotides, which form the sugar-phosphate backbone through dehydration synthesis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The energy needed for the polymerization of nucleic acids comes from the phosphate groups attached to nucleotides. Each nucleotide consists of three parts: a pentose sugar, a nitrogen-containing base, and one or more phosphate groups. During the polymerization process, nucleotides are joined together by dehydration synthesis, forming a phosphodiester bond between the phosphate group of one nucleotide and the pentose sugar of the next nucleotide. This connection results in the creation of a sugar-phosphate backbone, which is essential to the structure of nucleic acids like DNA and RNA. The phosphate group provides the energy for this bond formation because when the bond is created, a molecule of water is released and energy is utilized, enabling the chain of nucleic acid to grow.
The feature of single nucleotides that provides the energy needed for polymerization when nucleic acids are formed is
their phosphate groups.
Nucleotides are the building blocks of nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA. They consist of three components: a phosphate group, a pentose sugar, and a nitrogenous base. When nucleotides polymerize to form nucleic acids, the phosphate group of one nucleotide binds covalently with the sugar molecule of the next nucleotide, releasing energy.