Which statement correctly lists the components of a nucleotide in DNA?

Which statement correctly lists the components of a nucleotide in DNA?

• A. A sugar called ribose, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.
• B. A sugar called deoxyribose, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.
• C. A lipid tail, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.
• D. Two sugars, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

Answer: (B)

DNA nucleotides are built from three parts: a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. In DNA, the sugar is deoxyribose, which has one less oxygen than the sugar used in RNA (ribose). The phosphate group connects to the sugar and links successive nucleotides to form the sugar–phosphate backbone of the DNA strand. The nitrogenous base attaches to the sugar and provides the genetic information, pairing with its partner (A with T, C with G) during DNA replication and transcription. The statement that lists deoxyribose, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base accurately describes a DNA nucleotide. The other options mix in a ribose sugar (which would describe RNA), a lipid tail (lipids, not nucleotides), or two sugars (a nucleotide has only one sugar), so they don’t fit the structure of a DNA nucleotide.

DNA nucleotides are built from three parts: a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. In DNA, the sugar is deoxyribose, which has one less oxygen than the sugar used in RNA (ribose). The phosphate group connects to the sugar and links successive nucleotides to form the sugar–phosphate backbone of the DNA strand. The nitrogenous base attaches to the sugar and provides the genetic information, pairing with its partner (A with T, C with G) during DNA replication and transcription. The statement that lists deoxyribose, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base accurately describes a DNA nucleotide. The other options mix in a ribose sugar (which would describe RNA), a lipid tail (lipids, not nucleotides), or two sugars (a nucleotide has only one sugar), so they don’t fit the structure of a DNA nucleotide.