Question

what elements do nucleic acids contain

Answer 1

Nucleic acids, which include DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid), are primarily composed of three key elements:

1. **Carbon (C)** - Present in the sugar molecules and the nitrogenous bases.
2. **Hydrogen (H)** - Present in the sugar molecules and the nitrogenous bases.
3. **Oxygen (O)** - Found in the sugar molecules (deoxyribose in DNA and ribose in RNA).
4. **Nitrogen (N)** - Present in the nitrogenous bases (adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine in DNA; adenine, uracil, cytosine, guanine in RNA).
5. **Phosphorus (P)** - Found in the phosphate groups that link the sugar molecules together to form the backbone of the nucleic acid strand.

These elements come together to form the structure of nucleic acids, enabling them to play vital roles in the storage and transmission of genetic information.