Question

All nucleic acids are-

A) Polymers of nucleotides

B) Polymers of amino acids

C) Double-stranded

D) Double-helical and contain deoxyribose

Answer 1

Nucleic acids are the biopolymers, or large biomolecules, essential to all known forms of life. The nucleic acids, both DNA and RNA, consist of them. It is composed of three parts: a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

Complete answer:
The nucleic acid (DNA) is called the blueprint of life because it contains the instructions needed for an organism to grow, develop, survive and reproduce. DNA is just one type of nucleic acid. Some other types are RNA, mRNA, and tRNA. DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. RNA stands for ribonucleic acid. Nucleic acids are long chainlike molecules composed of building blocks called nucleotides. Each nucleotide consists of a nitrogen-containing aromatic base attached to a five-carbon sugar, which is in turn attached to a phosphate group. Each nucleic acid contains four of five possible nitrogen-containing bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil. Thus the nucleic acids consist of polymers of nucleotides.

Additional information:

Option B is not correct as amino acid acts as the building blocks for proteins.

Option C is not correct as DNA molecules are double-stranded and RNA molecules are single-stranded.

Option D is not correct as DNA contains the sugar deoxyribose, while RNA contains the sugar ribose.

Thus the nucleic acids consist of polymers of nucleotides.

Hence option ‘A’ is the correct answer.

Note: Nucleic acids are the most important of all biomolecules and were discovered in 1868 by twenty-four-year-old Swiss physician Friedrich Miescher. Later, this idea was involved in heredity.