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Guilherme Mazui

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What is the Difference Between Nucleotide and Base?

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The main difference between nucleotides and bases lies in their composition and function in DNA and RNA molecules.

Nucleotides are the basic structural units and building blocks of DNA and RNA. They consist of three parts:

  1. A nitrogenous base (nitrogen-containing)
  2. A pentose sugar (ribose in RNA and deoxyribose in DNA)
  3. A phosphate group

On the other hand, bases are the parts of DNA that store information and give DNA the ability to encode a person's visible traits. There are four types of bases in DNA:

  1. Adenine (A)
  2. Cytosine (C)
  3. Guanine (G)
  4. Thymine (T)

Bases are the nitrogenous components of nucleotides, and they form hydrogen bonds with complementary bases in DNA, adenine with thymine, and cytosine with guanine. In RNA, thymine is replaced by uracil (U). Bases are the most important and functional units of nucleotides in DNA or RNA.

In summary, while nucleotides are the building blocks of DNA and RNA, containing a nitrogenous base, sugar, and phosphate group, bases are the nitrogen-rich components of nucleotides that store information and form hydrogen bonds with complementary bases.

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  • What is the Difference Between Nucleotide and Base?
  • Comparative Table: Nucleotide vs Base

    • Comparative Table: Nucleotide vs Base

    Here is a table comparing the differences between nucleotides and bases:

    Feature Nucleotides Bases
    Components - Five-sided sugar (ribose in RNA or deoxyribose in DNA)
    - Phosphate group
    - Nitrogenous base (adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, or uracil)    		 - Adenine (A)
    - Cytosine (C)
    - Guanine (G)
    - Thymine (T) (only in DNA)
    - Uracil (U) (only in RNA)
    Function - Basic structural unit and building block for DNA and RNA
    - Bases store information and give DNA the ability to encode phenotype
    - Hydrogen bonds between complementary bases hold the DNA double helix together    		 - Part of DNA that stores information and gives DNA the ability to encode phenotype
    - Complementary base pairing between adenine and thymine, and cytosine and guanine (in DNA)
    - Complementary base pairing between adenine and uracil (in RNA)
    Types - Nucleotides can be classified as ribonucleotides (in RNA) or deoxyribonucleotides (in DNA) - Bases can be classified as purines (adenine and guanine) or pyrimidines (cytosine, thymine, and uracil)

    Nucleotides are the building blocks of DNA and RNA, composed of a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. Bases, also known as nucleobases, are the specific nitrogen-containing molecules that make up the genetic code in DNA and RNA. They are classified as purines (adenine and guanine) or pyrimidines (cytosine, thymine, and uracil). Adenine always binds to thymine (in DNA) or uracil (in RNA), while cytosine and guanine always bind to one another. This relationship is called complementary base pairing.

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    Guilherme Mazui

    Guilherme Mazui is graduated in journalism from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and a master's degree in Communication from the University of São Paulo (USP). In addition, he has experience in advertising writing and has worked as a content editor in several companies.