nukleotiidides

Nucleotides are the basic building blocks of nucleic acids, which include DNA and RNA. Each nucleotide consists of three components: a nitrogenous base, a five-carbon sugar, and one or more phosphate groups. The nitrogenous bases are adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), thymine (T), and uracil (U). Adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine are found in DNA, while adenine, guanine, cytosine, and uracil are found in RNA. The sugar in DNA is deoxyribose, and the sugar in RNA is ribose. The phosphate group links nucleotides together to form a long chain, creating the DNA or RNA molecule.

Nucleotides play crucial roles in biological processes beyond their structural function in nucleic acids. For instance, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the primary energy currency of the cell, powering many cellular reactions. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) act as important second messengers in cellular signal transduction pathways. Furthermore, nucleotides serve as components of coenzymes like NAD+ and FAD, which are essential for numerous metabolic reactions, particularly those involved in energy production. The specific sequence of nucleotides in DNA encodes the genetic information that determines an organism's traits, and this information is transcribed into RNA molecules, which then direct protein synthesis.