Question

multiple choice:
a nucleotide consists of a
a phosphate group and a nitrogenous base
b five - carbon sugar and phosphate group
c five - carbon sugar and an amino acid
d five - carbon sugar and a nitrogenous base
e five - carbon sugar, a nitrogenous base, and a phosphate group

Explanation:

A nucleotide is the basic building block of nucleic acids (like DNA and RNA). It has three main components: a five - carbon sugar (deoxyribose in DNA and ribose in RNA), a nitrogenous base (such as adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine in DNA and adenine, uracil, cytosine, guanine in RNA), and a phosphate group.

• Option A is missing the five - carbon sugar.
• Option B is missing the nitrogenous base.
• Option C has an amino acid which is not part of a nucleotide (amino acids are the building blocks of proteins).
• Option D is missing the phosphate group.
• Option E correctly lists all three components of a nucleotide: five - carbon sugar, nitrogenous base, and phosphate group.

Answer:

E. five - carbon sugar, a nitrogenous base, and a phosphate group