Nucleotides - Definition, Examples, Quiz, FAQ, Trivia

What are Nucleotides?

Nucleotides are the tiny building blocks that make up DNA and RNA - the molecules that carry all the instructions for life! Think of them like letters in a genetic alphabet that spell out how living things grow and function.

Every nucleotide has three important parts: a nitrogenous base, a sugar molecule, and a phosphate group. When many nucleotides join together, they form long chains that create DNA and RNA.

Parts of a Nucleotide

Each nucleotide is made of three special parts that work together:

The nitrogenous bases come in two types:

Purines: Adenine (A) and Guanine (G) - these have two rings
Pyrimidines: Cytosine (C), Thymine (T) in DNA, Uracil (U) in RNA - these have one ring

Nucleotides in DNA & RNA

Nucleotides form both DNA and RNA, but with some important differences:

The sequence of nucleotides in DNA forms genes, which are like recipes that tell cells how to make proteins. RNA acts as a messenger that carries these instructions to the protein-making machinery in cells.

Example: A DNA sequence might look like: A-T-T-G-C-A. This sequence would be transcribed into RNA as: A-U-U-G-C-A.

Nucleotide Quiz

Test your nucleotide knowledge with this quiz! Answer all 5 questions to see how much you've learned.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to some common questions about nucleotides:

Fun Nucleotide Trivia

Discover some amazing facts about nucleotides!