Final answer:
The sugar-phosphate backbone consists of phosphodiester bonds formed by dehydration synthesis between nucleotides, providing structural support for DNA and RNA. Hydrogen bonds occur between the complementary bases, not within the backbone itself.
Step-by-step explanation:
The sugar-phosphate backbone is a critical component of the structure of DNA and RNA. It consists of repeating units of phosphodiester bonds between the sugar of one nucleotide and the phosphate group of another. These bonds are formed via a dehydration synthesis reaction, which is a type of covalent bond. Additionally, the sugar-phosphate backbone is the structural framework to which the nitrogenous bases are attached, protruding away from the backbone.
Thus, statement C from the options provided, which talks about the formation of hydrogen bonds, is not describing an aspect of the sugar-phosphate backbone, but rather the interactions between bases across the two strands of DNA. The answer to the student's question, regarding the aspects of the sugar-phosphate backbone, is that it involves covalent bonds between nucleotides, specifically phosphodiester linkages, which are not the same as hydrogen bonds that stabilize base pairs or interactions with metal ions.