Question

In: Biology

What is the difference between a nucleoside and a nucleotide? Why do you think it is...

What is the difference between a nucleoside and a nucleotide? Why do you think it is important that the sugar phosphate backbone of DNA is held together by covalent bonds, and the cross-bridges between the two strands are held together by hydrogen bonds?

Solutions

Expert Solution

A nucleoside consists of a nitrogenous base covalently attached to a sugar without the phosphate group. While, a nucleotide consists of a nitrogenous base, a sugar and one to three phosphate groups.

  • Nucleoside = Sugar + Base. For examples: Cytidine, uridine, adenosine, guanosine, thymidine and inosine.
  • Nucleotide = Sugar + Base + Phosphate. For example: 5'-uridine monophosphate.

Several nucleoside are used as antiviral or anticancer agents. Malfunctioning nucleotides may lead to any of the cancers.

The DNA double helix is held together by two types of bonds, covalent and hydrogen. Covalent bonds occur within each linear strand and strongly bond the bases, sugars, and phosphate groups. Hydrogen bonds occur between the two strands and involve a base from one strand with a base from the second in complementary pairing. These hydrogen bonds are individually weak but collectively quite strong.


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