Understand that DNA is a type of nucleic acid, which is a macromolecule essential for all known forms of life.
Recognize that the basic building blocks of DNA are nucleotides, not amino acids, fatty acids, or monosaccharides.
Learn that each nucleotide in DNA consists of three components: a phosphate group, a deoxyribose sugar, and a nitrogenous base.
Identify the four types of nitrogenous bases in DNA: adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C), and guanine (G).
Understand that nucleotides are linked together by phosphodiester bonds to form the backbone of the DNA molecule, with the nitrogenous bases pairing specifically (A with T, and C with G) to form the double helix structure.