What are nucleic acids composed of?

Nucleic acids, which include DNA and RNA, are composed of nucleotides. Each nucleotide is itself made up of three components: a phosphate group, a five-carbon sugar (either ribose in RNA or deoxyribose in DNA), and a nitrogenous base (adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine in DNA; adenine, uracil, cytosine, guanine in RNA). This specific structure is essential for the storage and transmission of genetic information. The sequence of these nucleotides encodes the information needed for protein synthesis and the regulation of cellular processes, making nucleic acids crucial for all forms of life.

In contrast, amino acids are the building blocks of proteins; fatty acids are components of lipids; and monosaccharides are simple sugars that serve as carbohydrates. Thus, recognizing that nucleic acids are built from nucleotides highlights their unique and essential role in biology.