Components of nucleic acids
The nucleic acids are large polymers formed by the repetition of monomers called nucleotides , linked by phosphodiester bonds. There are two basic types, DNA and RNA .
The nucleotides are formed by a phosphoric acid (H3PO4) linked to a ribose or a deoxyribose, and this to a nitrogenous base. If the phosphate group is missing, it is called a nucleoside .
Nitrogen bases can be:
- Puric bases: Adenine, Guanine.
- Pyrimidine bases: Cytosine, Thymine and Uracil.
By Calibuon at English Wikibooks [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
By Alejandro Porto [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimdia Commons