Use the following information to answer the questions below.
Approximately 32 different monomeric carbohydrate subunits are found in various natural polysaccharides. Proteins are composed of 20 different amino acids. DNA and RNA are each synthesized from four nucleotides.
-Professor Jamey Marth at the University of California, Santa Barbara, identified 70 molecules that are used to build cellular macromolecules and structures. These include at least 34 saccharides, 8 nucleosides, and 20 amino acids. In theory, then, which class of biological polymer has the greatest information-coding capacity?
A) polysaccharides
B) proteins
C) DNA
D) RNA

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Polysaccharides have the greatest information-coding capacity because they are made from the largest number of monomeric subunits (approximately 32 different monomeric carbohydrate subunits) compared to proteins (20 different amino acids) and DNA/RNA (4 nucleotides each). This greater diversity in monomers allows for a higher potential for variation and complexity in the polymers formed.

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