Fundamentals of Molecular Biology - V.I. Rezyapkin 2009

Nucleic Acids
Composition of Nucleic Acids

The composition of NAs includes residues of a nitrogenous base, a pentose, and phosphoric acid.

Among the nitrogenous bases, pyrimidine and purine bases are distinguished, also referred to as Pyrimidines and Purines.

Pyrimidine bases are derivatives of pyrimidine:

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purine bases are derivatives of purine:

Pyrimidines include:

purines include:

DNA contains the nitrogenous bases thymine, cytosine, adenine, and guanine, while RNA contains uracil, cytosine, adenine, and guanine.

Nucleic Acids contain pentose residues: DNA contains deoxyribose residues:

RNA contains ribose:

A nitrogenous base, by binding to a pentose, forms a nucleoside.

Below are the nucleosides formed by ribose and nitrogenous bases that make up RNA:

and the nucleosides formed by deoxyribose and various nitrogenous bases that make up DNA:

A nucleoside, by binding to a phosphoric acid residue, forms a nucleotide:

Adenosine monophosphate (AMP)

Deoxyadenosine monophosphate (dAMP)

Similarly to AMP and dAMP, the names of other NUCLEOTIDES are formed: guanosine monophosphate, deoxyguanosine monophosphate, cytidine monophosphate, deoxycytidine monophosphate, uridine monophosphate, deoxythymidine monophosphate

One or two more phosphoric acid residues can attach to nucleoside monophosphates and deoxynucleoside monophosphates, resulting in The formation of nucleoside diphosphates (NDPs) and deoxynucleoside diphosphates (dNDPs), nucleoside triphosphates (NTPs), and deoxynucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs):

Adenosine diphosphate (ADP)

Deoxyadenosine diphosphate (dADP)

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)

Deoxyadenosine triphosphate (dATP)

NTPs and dNTPs serve as substrates for the synthesis of RNA and DNA, respectively.



Last update: 12/08/2026

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