Answer:
Yes, I can help you distinguish between a nucleotide and a nucleic acid using a diagram.
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A nucleotide is the building block of nucleic acids. It consists of three parts: a sugar molecule (either ribose or deoxyribose), a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. The sugar and phosphate groups form the backbone of the nucleic acid chain, while the nitrogenous base projects out from the backbone.
Step-by-step explanation:
Here is a diagram of a nucleotide:
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sugar
|
O
/
P O - phosphate group
\ /
O
|
nitrogenous base
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A nucleic acid, on the other hand, is a polymer made up of nucleotide monomers linked together through covalent bonds between the sugar of one nucleotide and the phosphate group of the next nucleotide. There are two types of nucleic acids: DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid).
Here is a diagram of a nucleic acid:
phosphate sugar base
| | |
-----O==========O============N---
\ / \
O O O
\ / |
O==O N
| |
N N
| |
N N
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In this diagram, the sugar-phosphate backbone is represented by the alternating gray and white vertical lines, while the nitrogenous bases (represented by the letters A, T, C, and G) project out from the backbone. The bonds between adjacent nucleotides are covalent bonds known as phosphodiester bonds.