Final answer:
The bond that holds nucleotides together in a DNA molecule is the covalent (phosphodiester) bond, forming the backbone of DNA. Hydrogen bonds join complementary strands (A-T and G-C) to create the double helix structure. Glycosidic bonds link monosaccharides to form polysaccharides.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of bond that binds nucleotides together in a DNA molecule, in a ladder-type way, is the covalent bond, specifically a phosphodiester bond. These bonds form the sugar-phosphate backbone of each strand of DNA. On the other hand, hydrogen bonds are responsible for joining one strand with the complementary strand, where adenine (A) pairs with thymine (T), and guanine (G) pairs with cytosine (C) to form the double helix structure characteristic of DNA.
Monosaccharides are linked together by a different type of covalent bond known as glycosidic bonds to form polysaccharides. This process involves a dehydration synthesis reaction, similar to the formation of phosphodiester linkages between nucleotides.
The characteristic shape formed by nucleotide bonding in DNA is known as the double helix. Each nucleotide consists of a sugar molecule, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. The sequence of these nucleotides encodes genetic information, which is essential for biological inheritance and cell function.