DNA

DNA Nucleotides A whole range of nucleotides exist within a cell. A nucleotide molecule contains a phosphate group, a pentose sugar group and an organic base group. Pentose Sugars Nucleotides contain one of two alternative sugar components. They fall into two groups, those that contain a ribose (C5H10O5) sugar group and those that contain a deoxyribose (C5H10O4) sugar group. The base component of the nucleotide is connected to carbon 1 of the sugar and the phosphate group of the nucleotide is joined to carbon 5 of the sugar (shown in the diagram above). There is a small difference in the structure between a ribose molecule and a deoxyribose molecule; the deoxyribose has one less oxygen on carbon 2. This very small difference has far reaching consequences in the cell: ribonucleotides (nucleotides containing a ribose residue) form RNA and deoxyribonucleotides (nucleotides containing a deoxyribose residue) form DNA. The structure of pentose sugars in both the linear and ring forms Inorganic Phosphate Nucleotides contain one, two or three phosphate groups. Phosphate is an inorganic ion carrying three negative charges. One, two or three phosphates can be joined to the sugar molecule through the hydroxyl group on carbon 5 shown dna, sugar, nucleotides, one, group, two, phosphate, franklin, form, base, watson, structure, rosalind, molecule, rna, number, human, double, project, nucleotide, helix, genetic, contain, cell, been, pairs, deoxyribose, carbon, bases, thymine, three, stranded, shown, scientists, same