- Phosphate Group: Forms the backbone of the DNA strand.
- Deoxyribose Sugar: A five-carbon sugar that, along with the phosphate, makes up the sides of the “ladder”.
- Nitrogenous Base: Forms the rungs of the ladder. There are four types of bases that define the genetic code:
- Adenine (A)
- Thymine (T)
- Guanine (G)
- Cytosine (C)
Key Features of DNA Structure
- : Two long strands twist around each other.
- Base Pairing: The bases pair specificallyA always pairs with T, and C always pairs with Gheld together by hydrogen bonds.
- Chain: These nucleotides link together in a chain, forming a polymer known as a polynucleotide.
The sequence of these bases (e.g., A-T-T-G-C-A) determines the genetic information, such as instructions for making proteins.
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