Question

What are the monomers of DNA and RNA?

Answer 1

DNA and RNA are considered polymers of nucleic acids. The monomer of nucleic acid can be described as a nucleotide composed of three subunits: nitrogen base, the phosphate group, and the sugar part.

Complete answer:
Monomers are defined as building blocks of polymers. The chains of repeating monomer units that are joined through the covalent bonds form the polymers. In the case of nucleic acids, monomers are defined as the nucleotides which are composed of a nitrogenous base, a pentose sugar, and phosphate group whereas DNA and RNA are described as polymers of nucleic acids.
The monomers of DNA and RNA are the nucleotides. The nucleotides are observed to combine with each other in order to produce a polynucleotide which can either be a DNA or RNA. Each nucleotide is composed of three components which are a nitrogenous base, a pentose sugar which is defined as a five-carbon structure, and a phosphate group. In a nucleotide, each nitrogenous base can be observed to be attached to a sugar molecule which is further attached to one or more groups of phosphate.
DNA is defined to be composed of nucleotides which are single monomeric units. The structure of each nucleotide consists of three elements i.e. sugar, nitrogenous base, and a phosphate group. Sugar also termed as deoxyribose sugar in DNA is observed to be surrounded on one side to a phosphate group whereas surrounded on the other side to a nitrogenous base. The term nucleoside can be described as a nucleotide that does not consist of a phosphate group. The two groups of nitrogen bases are purines and pyrimidines. The four bases in DNA are adenine (A), and guanine (G) are the purine while the cytosine(C), and thymine (T)are the pyrimidine. The formation of a nucleotide is performed by the glycosidic bond between nitrogenous base and sugar and the ester bond between the phosphate group and sugar. To form a polynucleotide chain each nucleotide is bonded through a phosphodiester bond. The purines and pyrimidines are joined through hydrogen bonds, where adenine and thymine require two hydrogen bonds while guanine and cytosine require three hydrogen bonds.
RNA is a nucleotide composed of three components that are a nitrogenous base, a pentose sugar, and one or more phosphate groups. Deoxyribose in terms of its structure is similar to ribose, but it contains an H instead of an OH at the 2′ position. Bases are divisible into two categories that are purines and pyrimidines, having a double ring structure and a single ring structure respectively.

Note:
DNA mainly functions as the genetic material of an organism and RNA in organisms plays an important role in protein synthesis. Deoxyribose in terms of its structure is similar to ribose, but it contains an H instead of an OH at the 2′ position. Monomers of lipids are glycerol and fatty acids, of proteins, are amino acids and carbohydrates are monosaccharides.