Which statement best describes the components of nucleic acids?

• A. Nucleic acids are made up of amino acids linked by peptide bonds.
• B. Nucleic acids are composed of nucleotide monomers, each containing a phosphate group, a five-carbon sugar, and a nitrogenous base.
• C. Nucleic acids are polymers of monosaccharides joined by glycosidic bonds.
• D. Nucleic acids consist of fatty acids and glycerol molecules.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Begin by understanding the structure and function of nucleic acids. Nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are macromolecules essential for storing and transmitting genetic information.
2. Step 2: Recognize that nucleic acids are composed of nucleotide monomers. Each nucleotide consists of three components: a phosphate group, a five-carbon sugar (either deoxyribose in DNA or ribose in RNA), and a nitrogenous base (adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine, or uracil).
3. Step 3: Compare the given statements to the correct description of nucleic acids. Eliminate options that incorrectly describe nucleic acids, such as those mentioning amino acids, glycosidic bonds, or fatty acids and glycerol molecules.
4. Step 4: Focus on the correct statement: 'Nucleic acids are composed of nucleotide monomers, each containing a phosphate group, a five-carbon sugar, and a nitrogenous base.' This matches the known structure of nucleic acids.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the correct answer is the statement describing nucleic acids as composed of nucleotide monomers, and understand why the other options are incorrect based on their mismatched components or bonds.