desoxynucleotide

A deoxynucleotide is a monomeric unit of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). It consists of three components: a deoxyribose sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. The nitrogenous bases found in DNA are adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T). These bases are attached to the 1' carbon of the deoxyribose sugar. The phosphate group is attached to the 5' carbon of the sugar and links to the 3' carbon of the next deoxyribonucleotide, forming the phosphodiester backbone of the DNA strand.

There are four types of deoxynucleotides, each corresponding to one of the four nitrogenous bases: deoxyadenosine monophosphate (dAMP), deoxyguanosine monophosphate (dGMP), deoxycytidine monophosphate (dCMP), and deoxythymidine monophosphate (dTMP). These deoxynucleotides are often referred to by their base components, such as deoxynucleotide A, deoxynucleotide G, deoxynucleotide C, and deoxynucleotide T.

Deoxynucleotides are essential for DNA replication and repair. During DNA replication, enzymes called DNA polymerases assemble new DNA strands by adding deoxynucleotides to a template strand. The specific sequence of deoxynucleotides in a DNA molecule carries the genetic information that determines the characteristics of an organism. Deoxynucleotides can also exist as triphosphates (dNTPs), which serve as the direct precursors for DNA synthesis, providing the energy for the polymerization reaction through the cleavage of two phosphate groups.