What is the structure of a nucleotide?

A nucleotide is the fundamental building block of nucleic acids, which include DNA and RNA. It consists of three essential components: a sugar molecule, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. In the context of DNA, the sugar is specifically deoxyribose, and the nitrogenous bases can be adenine, thymine, cytosine, or guanine. Each of these bases pairs in a specific manner (adenine with thymine and cytosine with guanine) to form the rungs of the DNA ladder structure.

Understanding the composition of a nucleotide is crucial in molecular biology, as it helps explain how genetic information is encoded and how it is replicated during cell division. The phosphate group links the sugar of one nucleotide to the sugar of another, creating the backbone of the DNA or RNA strand, while the nitrogenous bases protrude from this backbone and are involved in base pairing.

Other options presented do not accurately describe a nucleotide's structure. For instance, amino acids and fatty acids are building blocks of proteins and lipids, respectively, and do not play a role in the structure of nucleotides. Similarly, while a protein is a key cellular component, it is not part of a nucleotide's makeup, which focuses