Deoxyribonucleic Acid, or DNA, is the genetic material in our cells. It is a
nucleic acid. In DNA, deoxyribose is the sugar, and forms the backbone of the molecule.
There are four different bases in DNA: adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine. Adenine and guanine are purines, whereas cytosine and thymine are pyrimidines. In order to form the double helix, bases opposite each other pair up. Adenine pairs with thymine, and guanine pairs with cytosine.
The final part of a nucleic acid is the phosphate groups. The phosphate links the sugar molecules together; they are the glue of the molecule. The genetic code is contained in DNA, by ‘reading’ the bases in sets of three, called a triplet codon.
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Nucleic Acid
RNA