What is a nucleotide?
BiologyClass 10CBSEAnswered 28 May 2026
Answer
A nucleotide is the basic building block of DNA and RNA, consisting of three components:
Nucleotide = Phosphate Group + Sugar + Nitrogenous Base
- Sugar: Deoxyribose in DNA; ribose in RNA
- Nitrogenous bases in DNA: A, T, G, C (in RNA, Thymine → Uracil)
- Base pairing: A–T and G–C (via hydrogen bonds)
Think of nucleotides as letters DNA is the sentence written from those letters.
Summary: A nucleotide is the structural unit of DNA/RNA, consisting of a phosphate group, a sugar, and one of four nitrogenous bases.
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