In: Biology
11. Which ofthe following statements correctly
describesthe difference between ATP and the
nucleotides used during DNA synthesis?
A. ATP contains three high-energy bonds; the nucleotides
havetwo.
B. The nucleotides have the sugar deoxyribose; ATP has the sugar
ribose.
C. The nucleotides have two phosphate groups; ATP has three
phosphate groups.
D. ATP isfound only in human cells; the nucleotides are found in
all animal and plant cells.
Question 11.
Option 'B' is the correct answer. The nucleotides possess the sugar deoxyribose, whereas, ATP has the sugar ribose.
The sugar present in a nucleotide is deoxyribose in nature because it lacks one oxygen atom compared to the ribose sugar. In deoxyribose sugar, the third carbon is linked with two hydrogen atoms, whereas, the third carbon of a ribose sugar is linked with one hydrogen atom and one hydroxyl group (OH group). The sugar present in an ATP molecule is a ribose sugar.
The structures of a nucleotide and an ATP are given in the picture below.
Explanation of the wrong options -
Option A- An ATP molecule contains two high energy bonds, not three. On the other hand, the nucleotides used during DNA synthesis, don't have any energy bond. The energy bonds present in an ATP are called phosphoanhydride bonds. In ATP there is a triphosphate part, which consists of three phosphate groups linked by two phosphoanhydride bonds in between them. The triphosphate part is linked to the ribose sugar by an ester bond. The nitrogen base linked with the first carbon of the ribose sugar is always adenine. On the other hand, in a nucleotide, only one phosphate group is present which is linked with the fifth carbon of the deoxyribose sugar by an ester bond. The nitrogen bases in nucleotides may be of five types (adenine guanine, thymine, cytosine and uracil).
Option C - It is true that ATP has three phosphate groups. But the nucleotides used during DNA synthesis, have one phosphate group, not two.
Option D - Both the ATP and nucleotides are generally present in all living cells of human, animals and plants.