Which term describes the basic units of the DNA molecule that include a sugar, a phosphate, and a nitrogenous base?

Which term describes the basic units of the DNA molecule that include a sugar, a phosphate, and a nitrogenous base?

• A. Deoxyribonucleotides
• B. Nucleosides
• C. Nucleotides
• D. Bases

Answer: (C)

The building blocks in DNA are nucleotides. Each nucleotide contains three parts: a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. In DNA, the sugar is deoxyribose, so the individual units are deoxyribonucleotides. The key idea is that the sugar, phosphate, and base together form a single nucleotide, and long chains of these units create the DNA polymer. Nucleosides, by contrast, are just the sugar plus base (no phosphate), and bases alone are only the informational components. So the term that best fits describing the basic units that include all three components is nucleotides.

The building blocks in DNA are nucleotides. Each nucleotide contains three parts: a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. In DNA, the sugar is deoxyribose, so the individual units are deoxyribonucleotides. The key idea is that the sugar, phosphate, and base together form a single nucleotide, and long chains of these units create the DNA polymer. Nucleosides, by contrast, are just the sugar plus base (no phosphate), and bases alone are only the informational components. So the term that best fits describing the basic units that include all three components is nucleotides.