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Multiple Choice

Which is the monomer unit of nucleic acids?

Nucleic acids are polymers built from nucleotides. Each nucleotide has three parts: a five‑carbon sugar (deoxyribose in DNA, ribose in RNA), a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. The sugar of one nucleotide bonds to the phosphate of the next, forming the sugar–phosphate backbone that holds the chain together. Because these repeating units connect to make the long strands of DNA and RNA, the monomer is the nucleotide. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, monosaccharides are the building blocks of carbohydrates, and lipids are assembled from glycerol and fatty acids in various forms, but they are not the monomer units of nucleic acids.

Nucleic acids are polymers built from nucleotides. Each nucleotide has three parts: a five‑carbon sugar (deoxyribose in DNA, ribose in RNA), a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. The sugar of one nucleotide bonds to the phosphate of the next, forming the sugar–phosphate backbone that holds the chain together. Because these repeating units connect to make the long strands of DNA and RNA, the monomer is the nucleotide. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, monosaccharides are the building blocks of carbohydrates, and lipids are assembled from glycerol and fatty acids in various forms, but they are not the monomer units of nucleic acids.