What are the polymers of nucleic acids called?

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Nucleotides. DNA and RNA are polymers (in the case of DNA, often very long polymers), and are made up of monomers known as nucleotides. When these monomers combine, the resulting chain is called a polynucleotide (poly- = “many”).

Are nucleic acids the polymers of proteins?

The nucleic acids, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA), are the molecules responsible for carrying the genetic information of a cell. In the same way that proteins are polymers of amino acids, nucleic acids are long chain “polymers” of nucleotide building blocks.

What units are nucleic acids?

The basic repeating unit of nucleic acids are known as nucleotides. A nucleotide consists of three distinct chemical groups, a 5-carbon sugar (ribose or deoxyribose), a nitrogen-rich base – (cytosine (C), guanine (G), adenine (A), thymine (T) in DNA or uracil (U) instead of T (in RNA), and phosphate.

Why are nucleic acids called polymers?

Explanation: A polymer is a large molecule that is built up from multiple smaller building blocks in a repetitive manner. The building blocks of the nucleic acids DNA and RNA are nucleotides (see image).

What are lipids polymers?

Lipids are biomolecules that are insoluble in water and play an essential role in human biology and physiology. Two or three fatty acids are usually polymerized with glycerol, but other lipids, such as steroids, do not form polymers.

Do nucleic acids form polymers?

Nucleic acids are actually polymer themselves. The term polymer simply describes a macromolecule like a nucleic acid or protein. The distinguishing characteristic of polymers is that they are made up of smaller constituent parts, and these sequential parts are referred to as monomers.

Why are nucleic acids called acids?

The name “nucleic acid” comes from the fact that they were first described because they actually had acidic properties, much like the acids that you know. And the nucleic part comes from the fact that they were first isolated because they were found in the nucleus.

What are nucleic acids monomers and polymers?

Nucleic Acids – polymers are DNA and RNA; monomers are nucleotides, which are in turn consist of a nitrogenous base, pentose sugar, and phosphate group. Carbohydrates – polymers are polysaccharides and disaccharides*; monomers are monosaccharides (simple sugars)

Is nucleic acid a monomer or polymer?

What is an example of a nucleic acid polymer?

Nucleic acids are the polymers themselves, the most common of them being DNA and RNA.

What is the monomer unit of a nucleic acid?

nucleotides
Nucleic acids are giant biomolecules made of monomers called nucleotides. Nucleotides have three components: pentose sugar (5-carbon sugar), phosphate group, and nitrogenous base.

What is nucleic acid in biochemistry?

Nucleic acids are naturally occurring chemical compounds that serve as the primary information-carrying molecules in cells. They play an especially important role in directing protein synthesis. The two main classes of nucleic acids are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA).

What is the structure of nucleic acids?

Nucleic Acids Structure These vital macromolecules are typically made of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, phosphorus and most importantly, carbon. They are long-chain polymers that consist of monomeric units called nucleotides. Each nucleotide comprises a phosphate group, a 5-carbon sugar and a specific nitrogen base.

Are nucleic acids polymers or polymers?

Nucleic Acids are Polymers of Nucleotides. DNA and RNA are both polymers made of individual nucleotides. The term “polymer” comes from “poly” for “many” and “mer” for parts, referring to the fact that each nucleic acid is made of many nucleotides.

What are the monomers of nucleic acids?

Nucleotides are the monomers of nucleic acids, but just as nucleic acids can serve purposes other than carrying information, nucleotides can too. The vital energy-carrying molecules ATP and GTP are both made from nucleotides – the nucleotides “A” and “G,” as you might have guessed.