Question

A nucleotide is made of a:

A) phospholipid, sugar, and base.
B) phosphate, protein, and base.
C) phosphate, sugar, and base.
D) phospholipid, sugar, and protein.

Answer 1

A nucleotide consists of a phosphate group, a pentose sugar, and a nitrogenous base, making option C) phosphate, sugar, and base the correct answer. Nucleotides form the building blocks of DNA and RNA.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer to the question "A nucleotide is made of a:" is phosphate, sugar, and base. Nucleotides are the building blocks of DNA and RNA, crucial molecules for the storage and expression of genetic information. Each nucleotide is composed of three main components:

• A nitrogenous base, which is an organic molecule containing nitrogen and includes bases such as adenine, cytosine, guanine, thymine (in DNA), and uracil (in RNA).
• A pentose sugar, which is a five-carbon sugar molecule. The sugar is deoxyribose in DNA and ribose in RNA.
• A phosphate group, which contributes to the nucleotide's ability to form the backbone of the DNA or RNA polymer through phosphodiester bonds.

This structure is consistent across both DNA and RNA nucleotides, with variations in the nitrogenous base and the sugar component defining whether the nucleotide is part of a DNA or RNA molecule. Therefore, option (C) is correct.