In the context of DNA structure, what are the three chemical components of a single DNA nucleotide?

• A. A phosphate group, a nitrogenous base, and a fatty acid
• B. A deoxyribose sugar, a phosphate group, and an amino acid
• C. A ribose sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base
• D. A deoxyribose sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that a DNA nucleotide is the basic building block of DNA, and each nucleotide consists of three chemical components.
2. Identify the sugar component in DNA nucleotides, which is deoxyribose, a five-carbon sugar lacking one oxygen atom compared to ribose found in RNA.
3. Recognize the phosphate group, which links the sugar of one nucleotide to the sugar of the next nucleotide, forming the backbone of the DNA strand.
4. Know that the nitrogenous base is attached to the sugar and can be one of four types in DNA: adenine, thymine, cytosine, or guanine.
5. Combine these components to conclude that a single DNA nucleotide consists of a deoxyribose sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.