Which of the following descriptions best fits the class of molecules known as nucleotides?
A) a nitrogenous base and a phosphate group
B) a nitrogenous base and a sugar
C) a nitrogenous base, a phosphate group, and a sugar
D) a sugar and a purine or pyrimidine

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Nucleotides consist of three components - a nitrogenous base, a phosphate group, and a sugar. The nitrogenous base can be a purine (adenine, guanine) or a pyrimidine (thymine, cytosine, uracil), the sugar is usually a pentose (deoxyribose in DNA and ribose in RNA), and the phosphate group is attached to the sugar. Therefore, option C is the best choice as it includes all three components. A includes only two components, B includes a nitrogenous base and a sugar but doesn't mention the phosphate group, and D only mentions a sugar and a nitrogenous base, but doesn't specify the type of base.

Which of the Following Descriptions Best Fits the Class of Molecules