Final answer:
Nucleotides are the building blocks of DNA and RNA, which are nucleic acids essential for genetic information storage and protein synthesis in the cell.
Step-by-step explanation:
Nucleotides are used as the fundamental repeating structural unit of DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (Ribonucleic acid). Nucleotides consist of three components: a pentose sugar, a nitrogenous base, and one or more phosphate groups. In DNA, the sugar is deoxyribose, whereas in RNA, it is ribose. The sequence of nucleotides in the nucleic acids DNA and RNA determines genetic information and is key to the processes of cell division and protein synthesis. DNA is recognized for its iconic double-helical structure, where two strands, each composed of a sugar-phosphate backbone and attached bases, wind around each other, forming a ladder-like configuration held together by hydrogen bonds between complementary bases. RNA is usually single-stranded and plays various roles in the cell, including acting as a template for protein synthesis during the process of transcription and translation.