Chapter 21.2, Problem 4RQ

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation:

Nucleotide and their fundamental parts need to be explained.

Concept introduction:

A nucleotide is an organic molecule and building block of DNA and RNA. They also play an important role to perform metabolism, cell signaling and enzyme reactions. There are three basic parts such as a phosphate group, a carbon sugar, and nitrogen containing nitrogenous base.

Answer to Problem 4RQ

Nucleotides are the basic requirement for the formation of genetic material.

There are three fundamental parts of the nucleotides-

Nitrogenous base

Sugar

Phosphate groups

Explanation of Solution

The nucleotide is the basic unit of the genetic material. Nucleotide structure is simple. The structure they can form together is the complex genetic material. The nucleotide arranged in chain like manner and produced a genetic material of all known living things.

The main three parts for a nucleotide are as

Nitrogenous base - A nitrogenous base present in nucleotide, this base contains a molecule with nitrogen and the chemical properties of a base due to a pair of electrons on the nitrogen atom.

Phosphate group − The phosphate groups play an important for the stability of the base, as they form phosphodiester bonds with the pentose sugars to create the sides of the DNA backbone.

Sugar - The pentose sugar is a 5-carbon monosaccharide. The sugar is found with two groups one is aldopentoses and the other one is ketopentoses.

Conclusion

The nucleotide is the basic general backbone of the genetic material, the fundamental three parts of the nucleotides are as the nitrogenous base, sugar, and phosphate group. They all are joined together in a suitably to form DNA or RNA.