Nucleotides

<h3 id="mntl-sc-block_2-0-4" class="comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-heading mntl-sc-list-item-title" >Names of Nucleotides ---</h3>

The Nucleotides are the ones used directly  in DNA by covalent bonds--forming the DNA helix. So start with a nucleoside do phosphorylation with a phosphate group and you have a nucleotide.

The five bases are adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil, which have the symbols A, G, C, T, and U, respectively. The names of the bases are generally used as the names of the nucleotide, although this is technically incorrect. The bases combine with the sugar to make the nucleotide adenosine, guanosine, cytidine, thymidine, and uridine.

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Nucleotides are named based on the number of phosphate residues they contain. For example, a nucleotide that has an adenine base and three phosphate residues would be named adenosine triphosphate (ATP). If the nucleotide has two phosphates, it would be adenosine diphosphate (ADP). If there is a single phosphate, the nucleotide is adenosine monophosphate (AMP).

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Both DNA and RNA use 4 bases, but they don't use the exact same ones. DNA uses adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine. RNA uses adenine, guanine, and cytosine, but has uracil instead of thymine. The helix of the molecules forms when two complementary bases form hydrogen bonds with each other. Adenine binds with thymine (A-T) in DNA and with uracil in RNA (A-U). Guanine and cytosine complement each other (G-C).

Adenine vs Adenosine----   Adenine = Nucleoside     Adenosine = Nucleotide.

Remember, although people tend to refer to the nucleotides by the names of their bases, adenine and adenosine are not the same thing! Adenine is the name of the purine base. Adenosine is the larger nucleotide molecule made up of adenine, ribose or deoxyribose, and one or more phosphate groups.

Nucleotides are phosphorylated nucleosides. A nucleoside is a combination of a nucleic acid base and a sugar. ATP is a nucleotide that participates in numerous energy transduction reactions. NTPs are the ultimate building blocks of nucleic acids. Nucleic acid polymerases are referred to as pols. In mammalian cells, ribonucleotides are converted to deoxyribonucleotides at the NDP level. DNA and RNA are structurally similar polymers. Nucleoside monophosphates are converted to their respective di- and triphosphate derivatives via phosphoryl transfer from ATP. Nucleotides can be synthesized from small organic molecules, and they are conserved through salvage pathways.

Nucleotides

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