In DNA, which sugar is used in the backbone?

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Prepare for the PLTW Biomedical Science Test. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question comes with hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Multiple Choice

In DNA, which sugar is used in the backbone?

Explanation:
DNA's backbone is a sugar-phosphate-sugar chain, and the sugar in DNA is deoxyribose. Nucleotides in DNA each have a sugar, a phosphate, and a base, and the sugars in the DNA backbone are deoxyribose—a five-carbon sugar missing an oxygen at the 2' position. That absence (the "deoxyribo" part) is what gives DNA its name and adds stability to the molecule. Fructose and glucose are simple sugars not used in nucleic acid backbones, and ribose is the sugar used in RNA, not DNA.

DNA's backbone is a sugar-phosphate-sugar chain, and the sugar in DNA is deoxyribose. Nucleotides in DNA each have a sugar, a phosphate, and a base, and the sugars in the DNA backbone are deoxyribose—a five-carbon sugar missing an oxygen at the 2' position. That absence (the "deoxyribo" part) is what gives DNA its name and adds stability to the molecule. Fructose and glucose are simple sugars not used in nucleic acid backbones, and ribose is the sugar used in RNA, not DNA.

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