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Nucleotides are the basic building blocks of nucleic acids, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). Each nucleotide consists of three components: a phosphate group, a five-carbon sugar (ribose in RNA and deoxyribose in DNA), and a nitrogenous base. The nitrogenous bases are divided into two categories: purines (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidines (cytosine, thymine, and uracil). In DNA, adenine pairs with thymine, and guanine pairs with cytosine. In RNA, adenine pairs with uracil, and guanine pairs with cytosine. The sequence of these bases along the nucleic acid chain carries the genetic information.
Nucleotides play crucial roles beyond being structural components of DNA and RNA. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is