what three items make up a nucleotide
A nucleotide is made up of three main components:
1. Sugar: Nucleotides contain a five-carbon sugar molecule called deoxyribose (in DNA) or ribose (in RNA). This sugar forms the backbone of the nucleotide.
2. Phosphate Group: Nucleotides also contain a phosphate group, which consists of phosphorus and oxygen atoms bound together. The phosphate group is attached to the sugar molecule.
3. Nitrogenous Base: Lastly, nucleotides contain a nitrogenous base, which is a nitrogen-containing molecule that forms the "base" of the nucleotide. There are four types of nitrogenous bases: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T) in DNA or uracil (U) in RNA. The specific nitrogenous base determines the genetic information carried by the nucleotide.