What are the three structural components that make up a nucleic acid?

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Multiple Choice

What are the three structural components that make up a nucleic acid?

Explanation:
Nucleic acids are polymers built from nucleotides, and each nucleotide has three parts: a five‑carbon sugar (deoxyribose in DNA or ribose in RNA), a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. The sugar and phosphate link together to form the backbone of the nucleic acid strand, while the nitrogenous base carries the genetic information and participates in base pairing. So the three structural components are the phosphate group, the sugar, and the nitrogenous base. The other options introduce amino acids or lipids, which belong to proteins or membranes, not to nucleic acids.

Nucleic acids are polymers built from nucleotides, and each nucleotide has three parts: a five‑carbon sugar (deoxyribose in DNA or ribose in RNA), a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. The sugar and phosphate link together to form the backbone of the nucleic acid strand, while the nitrogenous base carries the genetic information and participates in base pairing. So the three structural components are the phosphate group, the sugar, and the nitrogenous base. The other options introduce amino acids or lipids, which belong to proteins or membranes, not to nucleic acids.

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