Structure of Nucleotides

A nucleotide is a fundamental unit that make up the nucleic acids including DNA, RNA. A nucleotide consists of a sugar molecule (either ribose in RNA or deoxyribose in DNA) attached to a phosphate group and a nitrogen-containing base. The structure of the nucleotides is described as follows:

Sugar Group

Ribose is a part of the Nucleotides of RNA. Being a pentose sugar, its chemical structure consists of five carbon atoms. It is composed of

• Carbon atoms : Ribose sugar consists of five carbon atoms which are labeled as C1, C2, C3, C4 and C5.
• Oxygen molecule : In RNA ribose sugar has one molecule of oxygen is attached at C2 carbon atom.
• Hydroxyl group : The carbon atoms have hydroxyl (-OH) groups bonded to them. The hydroxyl groups present in the molecule have a role in its overall polarity and reactivity.

Also Read: Difference Between Deoxyribose And Ribose

Nitrogenous Base

These are the Nucleotide bases present in RNA and DNA including adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine in DNA, and adenine, cytosine, guanine, uracil in RNA. The nitrogenous bases in DNA can be grouped into two categories: purines and pyrimidine.

Purine bases: Purine are the building blocks of Nucleotides and are present in DNA and RNA both. There are two types of Purine bases:

• Adenine: It is a type nitogenous base and it is paired with thyamine in DNA and in RNA it is paired with uracil.
• Guanine: It is a type nitogenous base and it is paired with cytosine in DNA and RNA.

Pyrimidine bases: Pyrimidine are the building blocks of Nucleotides and are present in DNA and RNA both. There are three types of pyrimidine bases:

• Cytosine: It is a type nitogenous base and it is paired with guanine in DNA and RNA.
• Thymine: It is a type nitogenous base and it is paired with adenine in DNA and in RNA it is replaced with uracil.
• Uracil: It is a type nitogenous base and it is paired with adenine in RNA.

Also Read: Difference Between Purines And Pyrimidines

Phosphate Group

It is composed of oxygen molecule and phosphorus and attached to the ribose sugar. Phosphate group is also responsible for negative charge of nucleic acid. Nucleic acids’ structure and function depend on this negative charge, which also has an impact on how cells function and interact with other molecules. Deoxyribose is the sugar that is present in DNA. A phosphate group joins the 3′ carbon of one deoxyribose molecule to the 5′ carbon of the next to create a 3′-5′ phosphodiester link. Similar to how phosphate groups form phosphodiester bonds between 3′ and 5′ carbons, ribose is the sugar found in RNA. However, uracil (U) rather than thymine (T) takes the role of one of the nitrogenous bases in RNA.

The Three Main Parts of a Nucleotide are ribose sugar (a five-carbon sugar), a nitrogenous base that is adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine in DNA, and adenine, cytosine, guanine, uracil in RNA, and a phosphate group. A crucial component of base pairing selectivity in DNA and RNA is the nitrogenous base, which is joined to the ribose sugar.

The fundamental building units of nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are these three elements together. DNA and RNA are responsible for passing genetic information from parents to offspring. In this article, we will learn about the Structure, Characteristics, and Functions of the Three Parts of Nucleotides.