What are the primary components of DNA nucleotides?

What are the primary components of DNA nucleotides?

• A. Deoxyribose sugar, phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base
• B. Ribose sugar, phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base
• C. Glucose, phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base
• D. Deoxyribose sugar, sulfate group, and a nitrogenous base

Answer: (A)

DNA nucleotides are built from three parts: a five-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. In DNA, the sugar is deoxyribose, which lacks an oxygen on the 2' carbon, helping give DNA its stability. The phosphate group links sugars between nucleotides, forming the sugar–phosphate backbone, while the nitrogenous base carries the genetic information. The description that lists deoxyribose sugar, phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base matches DNA’s structure. The other options aren’t correct because they describe RNA’s sugar (ribose), or a different sugar (glucose), or replace the phosphate with sulfate.

DNA nucleotides are built from three parts: a five-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. In DNA, the sugar is deoxyribose, which lacks an oxygen on the 2' carbon, helping give DNA its stability. The phosphate group links sugars between nucleotides, forming the sugar–phosphate backbone, while the nitrogenous base carries the genetic information. The description that lists deoxyribose sugar, phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base matches DNA’s structure. The other options aren’t correct because they describe RNA’s sugar (ribose), or a different sugar (glucose), or replace the phosphate with sulfate.