A nucleotide is a
A) base found in nucleic acids.
B) purine or pyrimidine base plus a five-carbon sugar.
C) purine or pyrimidine base, a five-carbon sugar, and one or more phosphate groups.
D) purine or pyrimidine base, a five-carbon sugar, and three phosphate groups.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A nucleotide is composed of a purine or pyrimidine base, a five-carbon sugar (ribose or deoxyribose), and one or more phosphate groups. The phosphate group(s) attach to the 5' carbon of the sugar, forming a phosphodiester bond that connects adjacent nucleotides and creates the backbone of DNA and RNA. However, nucleotides without phosphate groups are also found in some important cellular processes, such as energy storage (e.g. ATP) and signaling (e.g. cAMP).

A Nucleotide Is a