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Home > News & Articles > Difference Between Nucleotide and Nucleoside: Definitions, Types, Structure, Functions, and Sample Questions
Updated on 08th February, 2023 , 8 min read
The distinction between nucleotide and nucleoside is critical to understanding the distinctions between the two. They are nucleic acid building blocks since they include the same components as nucleotides, such as a nitrogenous base, sugar, and phosphate group. The fundamental distinction is in their molecular makeup, with nucleosides including simply sugar and a base and nucleotides containing sugar, a base, and a phosphate group. Furthermore, a nucleotide is formed before DNA and RNA, while a nucleoside is formed before a nucleotide is formed.
A nucleotide is an organic molecule that forms the basis of RNA and DNA. The nucleotide has a phosphate group, a nitrogenous base, and a 5-carbon sugar. Nucleotides are compounds that consist of a nitrogenous base and a phosphate group connected to pentose sugar, which can be either deoxyribose or ribose. The pentose sugar with 5' carbon can include one to three phosphate groups. The nitrogenous base, on the other hand, can be either pyrimidine or purine. Thymine, uracil, and cytosine are pyrimidine bases, whereas guanine and adenine are purine bases.
A nucleoside is any nucleotide that does not contain a phosphate group but is bonded to the pentose sugar's 5' carbon. A nucleoside that binds one to three phosphate groups is always present in a nucleotide. Based on its pentose sugar component, a nucleoside can be classified as a ribonucleoside or a deoxyribonucleoside. A ribonucleoside is a nucleoside containing the sugar ribose. Deoxyribonucleoside, on the other hand, is a nucleoside that contains the sugar deoxyribose.
The table below contains examples of nucleotides and their nitrogenous bases-
|
Nitrogenous Bases |
Corresponding Examples |
|
Adenine |
ADP, AMP, ATP, dADP, dAMP, dATP, and ddATP |
|
Cytosine |
CDP, CMP, CTP, dCDP, dCMP, dCTP, and ddCTP |
|
Guanine |
GDP, GMP, GTP, dGDP, dGMP, dGTP, and ddGTP |
|
Thymine |
TDP, TMP, TTP, dTDP, dTMP, dTTP, and ddTTP |
Cytidine, uridine, guanosine, inosine triphosphate, and adenosine are examples of nucleosides. A beta-glycosidic link connects the pentose sugar's 3 positions to the nitrogenous base.
The following table gives details about the various types of nucleotide-
|
Types of Nucleotide |
Description |
|
Adenine |
In adenosine triphosphate, the nucleotide adenine serves as a base (ATP). Purines are one of two different kinds of nitrogenous bases. Adenine is a member of the purine family. A large quantity of energy may be stored in strong bonds by ATP. |
|
Cytosine |
The other nucleotide class is pyrimidines. Cytosine is a single pyrimidine nucleotide in the form of a ring. Cytosine has a strong affinity for both DNA and RNA. The nucleotide guanine binds tightly to the nucleotide adenine. |
|
Guanine |
Guanine, like adenine, is a two-ringed purine nucleotide. It binds to cytosine in both DNA and RNA. As illustrated in the image above, guanine forms three hydrogen bonds with cytosine. As a result, the cytosine-guanine link is slightly stronger than the thymine-adenine bond, which has just two hydrogen bonds. |
|
Thymine |
Thymine is a pyrimidine nucleotide with one ring, just like cytosine. It connects to adenine in DNA. Thymine is not found in RNA. Because it only makes two hydrogen bonds with adenine in DNA, it is the weaker of the two. |
|
Uracil |
Uracil is also a pyrimidine. During DNA-to-RNA transcription, uracil is substituted for thymine. Though uracil has various distinct advantages and disadvantages, the reason for this is unknown. Most animals do not use uracil in their DNA since it is short-lived and may be broken down into cytosine. However, because RNA is such a short-lived molecule, uracil is the nucleotide of choice. |
The following table gives details about the nucleoside types-
|
Types of Nuceloside |
Description |
|
Purine Nucleosides |
These nucleosides are made up of two nitrogenous bases, adenine, and guanine. The nucleosides contained in RNA are adenine and guanine. Deoxyadenosine and deoxyguanosine are the nucleosides found in DNA. |
|
Pyrimidine Nucleosides |
These nucleotides are made up of three nitrogenous bases: thymine, cytosine, and uracil. The nucleosides contained in RNA are cytidine and uridine. Deoxycytidine and thymidine or deoxythymidine are the nucleosides in DNA. |
Although the structure of a nucleotide is simple, the configuration that it might assume when linked is complex. This molecule is made up of two strands that wrap around each other to form hydrogen bonds in the center for support. This generation is feasible because of the unique structures of each nucleotide. Below is an illustration of DNA-
Below is an illustration of nucleoside structure-
Because they are both building blocks in the process of creation, it is critical to understand the major distinctions between nucleotides and nucleosides. Another important component that serves as a building block is the existence of nucleic acids and the genetic code, which aid in the transmission of genetic information.
The following table gives detailed information about the difference between nucleotide and nucleoside-
|
Parameter |
Nucleotide |
Nucleoside |
|
Examples |
Uridine monophosphate, guanosine monophosphate, etc. |
Uridine, guanosine, cytidine, adenosine, thymidine. |
|
Structure |
It is made up of a nitrogenous base, one to three phosphate groups, and sugars such as deoxyribose and ribose. |
It is made up of a nitrogenous base that is covalently attached to sugar but lacks the phosphate group. |
|
Composition |
It is made up of nucleosides and one or more phosphate groups. |
It is made up of a nitrogenous base as well as pentose sugar. |
|
Role in Nucleic Acid |
It forms nucleic acid strands by forming covalent connections with other nucleotides. |
It is phosphorylated, resulting in the production of nucleotides. |
|
Medical Relevance |
Dysfunctional nucleotides cause cancer to develop owing to the buildup of damaged DNA. |
Several nucleoside analogs are used in medicine as anticancer or antiviral medicines. |
Ans. One key distinction is that a nucleotide comprises sugar, phosphate, and a base, but a nucleoside just contains sugar and a base. The four chemicals that makeup DNA bases are adenine, guanine, thymine, and cytosine. Each base is coupled to sugar, and sugars are linked by a phosphate molecule.
Ans. Nucleotides are formed via glycosylation of purine and pyrimidine heterocyclic bases. Purine derivatives include adenine and guanine, whereas pyrimidine derivatives include cytosine, uracil, and thymine (acronyms A, G, C, U, and T). Thymine is classified as a deoxyribonucleotide, whereas uracil is classified as a ribonucleotide.
Ans. For replication and growth, Toxoplasma gondii and other apicomplexan parasites rely extensively on nucleotides and amino acids. Nucleotides are extremely critical in the rapidly dividing phases of DNA replication and RNA transcription. Nucleotides also play a role in a range of metabolic tasks, including the generation of cellular energy sources (ATP and GTP).
Ans. To produce nucleosides, a purine or pyrimidine base is -glycosidically linked to a ribose or deoxyribose sugar. These molecules are associated with the architecture of RNA (ribose sugars) and DNA (deoxyribose sugars).
Nucleotides and nucleosides can act as polynucleotide precursors in either DNA or RNA. A nucleoside is a compound that consists of a nitrogenous base and a pentose sugar. A nucleotide, on the other hand, is made up of a nitrogenous base, pentose sugar, and phosphate groups. As a result, a nucleoside can be thought of as a nucleotide precursor. A pentose sugar might be ribose, deoxyribose, or deoxy deoxyribose. In sequencing, nucleotides containing deoxyribose sugars can be employed to stop the chain elongation. The bases contained in the polynucleotide chain of DNA are adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. In RNA, however, thymine is replaced with uracil. The primary distinction between a nucleotide and a nucleoside is their correlation.
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By - Nikita Parmar 2023-08-25 09:48:44 , 11 min readAns. One distinction between nucleotide and nucleoside is based on chemical makeup. A nucleotide is made up of a nucleoside as well as one or more phosphate groups. Nucleoside, on the other hand, is made up of a nitrogenous base with a significant addition of pentose sugar.
Ans. A nucleotide is the fundamental building block of a particular acid, the nucleic acid. This clearly distinguishes between a nucleotide and a nucleic acid. A nucleotide also has a sugar molecule attached to a phosphate group and a nitrogen-containing base. The distinction between a nucleotide and a nucleoside is that a nucleoside is a component of a nucleotide. A nucleotide is also the monomeric unit of nucleic acid, which contains DNA and RNA. Furthermore, a nucleobase is a nitrogen-containing molecule that may produce nucleosides when coupled to deoxyribose or a five-carbon sugar called ribose.
Ans. DNA is a double-stranded helical molecule, with the two strands held together by hydrogen bonds between the nitrogenous bases of the nucleotides on opposing strands. Adenine and thymine form two hydrogen bonds, whereas guanine and cytosine form three hydrogen bonds.
Ans. Cyclic AMP, often known as cAMP, is an adenosine monophosphate that acts as a second messenger in the transmission of neurological or hormonal information to the cell. When some proteins or polypeptide hormones attach to the surface receptor of the plasma membrane, the adenylate cyclase enzyme produces cAMP from ATP. cAMP stimulates protein kinase enzymes, which add phosphate groups to intracellular enzymes, activating or deactivating them.
Ans. Nucleotides are monophosphates, diphosphates, or triphosphates of nucleosides. Higher nucleotides are those that have more than one phosphate group connected to the nucleoside. ADP and ATP are two examples. Linking more phosphate groups requires a significant amount of energy.
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