Which property is a main difference between a nucleic acid and a carbohydrate?

• A. Nucleic acids are primarily used for energy storage, while carbohydrates are not.
• B. Carbohydrates contain phosphate groups, while nucleic acids do not.
• C. Nucleic acids contain nitrogenous bases, while carbohydrates do not.
• D. Carbohydrates are composed of amino acids, while nucleic acids are not.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Begin by identifying the key structural components of nucleic acids and carbohydrates. Nucleic acids are composed of nucleotides, which include a sugar, a phosphate group, and nitrogenous bases (adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, or uracil). Carbohydrates, on the other hand, are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms, typically in a ratio of 1:2:1, and do not contain nitrogenous bases.
2. Step 2: Analyze the functions of nucleic acids and carbohydrates. Nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) are primarily involved in genetic information storage and transfer, while carbohydrates serve as energy sources and structural components in cells.
3. Step 3: Evaluate the presence of phosphate groups. Nucleic acids contain phosphate groups as part of their nucleotide structure, whereas carbohydrates do not typically include phosphate groups unless modified (e.g., phosphorylated sugars).
4. Step 4: Examine the presence of nitrogenous bases. Nucleic acids uniquely contain nitrogenous bases, which are essential for base pairing and genetic coding. Carbohydrates lack nitrogenous bases entirely.
5. Step 5: Clarify the composition of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are not composed of amino acids; they are made up of monosaccharides (simple sugars) that can form polysaccharides through glycosidic bonds. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, not carbohydrates.